Verse 4.29
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं प्राणेऽपानं तथापरे। प्राणापानगती रुद्ध्वा प्राणायामपरायणाः।।
Transliteration (IAST)
apāne juhvati prāṇaṁ prāṇe 'pānaṁ tathāpare prāṇāpāna-gatī ruddhvā prāṇāyāma-parāyaṇāḥ
Word-by-Word Meanings
Translation
Still others, who are inclined to the process of breath restraint to remain in trance, practice by offering the movement of the outgoing breath into the incoming, and the incoming breath into the outgoing, and thus at last remain in trance, stopping all breathing.
Commentary
This verse describes prāṇāyāma as a form of sacrifice. The offering of prāṇa into apāna and vice versa refers to specific breathing techniques that lead to cessation of breath (kumbhaka) and meditative absorption. This connects the physical practice of yoga to the broader framework of spiritual sacrifice.