{"id":497,"date":"2018-06-27T21:33:44","date_gmt":"2018-06-27T21:33:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/?p=497"},"modified":"2025-10-10T10:44:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T10:44:00","slug":"some-pratyahara-methods-given-in-the-texts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/?p=497","title":{"rendered":"Some praty\u0101h\u0101ra methods given in the texts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Praty\u0101h\u0101ra<\/em> literally translates as “taking back”, i.e. own perception from the outside inward (in oneself, or \u0101tman<\/em>). It can be said in another way: the return of consciousness and pr\u0101\u1e47a to the source of their origin, which terminates the process of losing energy to something that is of secondary importance to you personally or has virtually no effect. Praty\u0101h\u0101ra<\/em> returns the practitioner to his normal state, where is much energy. And this energy can then be more effectively used in the practice of dh\u0101ra\u1e47\u0101<\/em>. If there is not enough energy, then sometimes the dh\u0101ra\u1e47\u0101<\/em>\u00a0practice can lead to fatigue and instead of increasing energy lead to an even greater loss. I will give a description of the five methods of praty\u0101h\u0101ra<\/em> practice, which are set forth in \u015a\u0101\u1e47\u1e0dilya Upani\u1e63ad<\/em>. Also a similar description is found in Yogay\u0101j\u00f1avalkya<\/em> (Ch. 7) and Vasi\u1e63\u1e6dha Sa\u1e43hit\u0101<\/em>. \u015a\u0101\u1e47\u1e0dilya<\/em> gives the following description of praty\u0101h\u0101ra<\/em>:<\/p>\n

\u0905\u0925 \u092a\u094d\u0930\u0924\u094d\u092f\u093e\u0939\u093e\u0930\u0903\u0964 \u0938 \u092a\u091e\u094d\u091a\u0935\u093f\u0927\u0903 \u0935\u093f\u0937\u092f\u0947\u0937\u0941 \u0935\u093f\u091a\u0930\u0924\u093e\u092e\u093f\u0928\u094d\u0926\u094d\u0930\u093f\u092f\u093e\u0923\u093e\u0902
\n\u092c\u0932\u093e\u0926\u093e\u0939\u0930\u0923\u0902 \u092a\u094d\u0930\u0924\u094d\u092f\u093e\u0939\u0930\u0903\u0964 \u092f\u0926\u094d\u092f\u0924\u094d\u092a\u0936\u094d\u092f\u0924\u093f \u0924\u0924\u094d\u0938\u0930\u094d\u0935\u092e\u093e\u092e\u0947\u0924\u093f \u092a\u094d\u0930\u0924\u094d\u092f\u093e\u0939\u093e\u0930\u0903\u0964
\n\u0928\u093f\u0924\u094d\u092f\u0935\u093f\u0939\u093f\u0924\u0915\u0930\u094d\u092e\u092b\u0932\u0924\u094d\u092f\u093e\u0917\u0903 \u092a\u094d\u0930\u0924\u094d\u092f\u093e\u0939\u093e\u0930\u0903\u0964
\n\u0938\u0930\u094d\u0935\u0935\u093f\u0937\u092f\u092a\u0930\u093e\u0919\u094d\u092e\u0941\u0916\u0924\u094d\u0935\u0902 \u092a\u094d\u0930\u0924\u094d\u092f\u093e\u0939\u093e\u0930\u0903\u0964
\n\u0905\u0937\u094d\u091f\u093e\u0926\u0936\u0938\u0941 \u092e\u0930\u094d\u092e\u0938\u094d\u0925\u093e\u0928\u0947\u0937\u0941 \u0915\u094d\u0930\u092e\u093e\u0926\u094d\u0927\u093e\u0930\u0923\u0902 \u092a\u094d\u0930\u0924\u094d\u092f\u093e\u0939\u093e\u0930\u0903\u0964
\n\u092a\u093e\u0926\u093e\u0919\u094d\u0917\u0941\u0937\u094d\u0920\u0917\u0941\u0932\u094d\u092b\u091c\u0919\u094d\u0918\u093e\u091c\u093e\u0928\u0942\u0930\u0941\u092a\u093e\u092f\u0941\u092e\u0947\u0922\u094d\u0930\u0928\u093e\u092d\u093f\u0939\u0943\u0926\u092f-
\n\u0915\u0923\u094d\u0920\u0915\u0942\u092a\u0924\u093e\u0932\u0941\u0928\u093e\u0938\u093e\u0915\u094d\u0936\u093f\u092d\u094d\u0930\u0942\u092e\u0927\u094d\u092f\u0932\u0932\u093e\u091f\u092e\u0942\u0930\u094d\u0927\u094d\u0928\u093f \u0938\u094d\u0925\u093e\u0928\u093e\u0928\u093f\u0964
\n\u0924\u0947\u0937\u0941 \u0915\u094d\u0930\u092e\u093e\u0926\u093e\u0930\u094b\u0939\u093e\u0935\u0930\u094b\u0939\u0915\u094d\u0930\u092e\u0947\u0923 \u092a\u094d\u0930\u0924\u094d\u092f\u093e\u0939\u0930\u0947\u0924\u094d\u0965 \u096e\u0965<\/p>\n

atha praty\u0101h\u0101ra\u1e25 | sa pa\u00f1cavidha\u1e25 vi\u1e63aye\u1e63u vicarat\u0101mindriy\u0101\u1e47\u0101\u1e41<\/em>
\n bal\u0101d\u0101hara\u1e47a\u1e41 praty\u0101hara\u1e25 | yadyatpa\u015byati tatsarvam\u0101meti praty\u0101h\u0101ra\u1e25 |<\/em>
\n nityavihitakarmaphalaty\u0101ga\u1e25 praty\u0101h\u0101ra\u1e25 |<\/em>
\n sarvavi\u1e63ayapar\u0101\u1e45mukhatva\u1e41 praty\u0101h\u0101ra\u1e25 |<\/em>
\n a\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101da\u015basu marmasth\u0101ne\u1e63u kram\u0101ddh\u0101ra\u1e47a\u1e41 praty\u0101h\u0101ra\u1e25 |<\/em>
\n p\u0101d\u0101\u1e45gu\u1e63\u1e6dhagulphaja\u1e45gh\u0101j\u0101n\u016brup\u0101yume\u1e0dhran\u0101bhih\u1e5bdaya-<\/em>
\n ka\u1e47\u1e6dhak\u016bpat\u0101lun\u0101s\u0101k\u015bibhr\u016bmadhyalal\u0101\u1e6dam\u016brdhni sth\u0101n\u0101ni |<\/em>
\n te\u1e63u kram\u0101d\u0101roh\u0101varohakrame\u1e47a praty\u0101haret\u00a0<\/em>\u0965 8\u0965<\/p>\n

Thus, the\u00a0overview\u00a0of praty\u0101h\u0101ra<\/em>. It (praty\u0101h\u0101ra<\/em>) is the fifth method.\u00a0Praty\u0101h\u0101ra<\/em>\u00a0is the effort to remove senses from their objects.\u00a0Whatever you see (perceive), it is necessary to consider it as one with your higher Self. It is required to constantly consider your actions without being tied to the fruits, as a sacrifice –\u00a0ty\u0101ga<\/em> (practice of karma-yoga<\/em>). You need to direct your perception in opposition to external objects (i.e., inside yourself).<\/p>\n

Praty\u0101h\u0101ra<\/em> (the fifth technique) consists in concentrating on eighteen vital points (marmas<\/em>) in the body. It is required to focus on the toes, ankles, calves (on the legs), knees, hips, anus,\u00a0genital, navel, heart, throat, palate, nose, eyes, the point between the eyebrows, on the forehead, at the top of the head, and do this by moving the perception along the body up and down (\u0101roh\u0101varoha-kramena<\/em>).<\/p>\n

A more detailed description is given in\u00a0Yogay\u0101j\u00f1avalkya<\/em>: these points, which is called \u0101dh\u0101ra<\/em> in Siddha-siddh\u0101nta-paddhati<\/em>, are located\u00a0slightly\u00a0different. If you compare all the sources on the basis of\u00a0Yogay\u0101j\u00f1avalkya<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Vasi\u1e63\u1e6dha Sa\u1e43hit\u0101<\/em>, then marmas<\/em> can be the following:<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0p\u0101d\u0101\u1e45gu\u1e63\u1e6dha\u00a0(the big toe)
\n2)\u00a0gulpha\u00a0(ankle)
\n3) ja\u1e45gh\u0101 (shank)
\n4)\u00a0citim\u016bla\u00a0(base of the calf)
\n5)\u00a0j\u0101nu\u00a0(knee)
\n6) \u016brumadhya<\/em>\u00a0(center of the thigh)
\n7) p\u0101yu<\/em> (anus)
\n8) dehamadhya<\/em> (perineum)
\n9) me\u1e0dhra<\/em> (genitals)
\n10) n\u0101bhi<\/em> (navel)
\n11) h\u1e5bdaya<\/em> (heart)
\n12) ka\u1e47\u1e6dha<\/em> (throat)
\n13) t\u0101lu<\/em> (soft\u00a0palate)
\n14) n\u0101sam\u016bla<\/em> (the base of the nose)
\n15) cak\u1e63u<\/em> (eyes)
\n16) bhr\u016bmadhya<\/em> (between the eyebrows)
\n17) lal\u0101\u1e6da<\/em> (forehead)
\n18) m\u016brdhni<\/em> (the crown of the head)<\/p>\n

Usually,\u00a0pr\u0101\u1e47a<\/em>\u00a0moves\u00a0where the perception is directed, so in this practice like many others,\u00a0pr\u0101\u1e47a\u00a0should be focused through the consistent concentration and shifting of attention to the indicated points. Pr\u0101\u1e47a<\/em>\u00a0is usually scattered throughout the body at very different points, which are\u00a0108 in number\u00a0according to some sources, or even more according to others. However, the point is that attention and energy have to go more and more\u00a0from the periphery\u00a0to the center.\u00a0Pr\u0101\u1e47a<\/em>\u00a0comes from the root “an<\/em>” – the breath, so we can also talk about the use of breathing at these points. With slow inspiration we concentrate on one point, since p\u016braka<\/em>\u00a0means “filling with energy,” then during exhalation (recaka<\/em>) we dissolve the sensation of this region. With a new breath we move on to the next point and etc., moving up and down.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Praty\u0101h\u0101ra literally translates as “taking back”, i.e. own perception from the outside inward (in oneself, or \u0101tman). It can be said in another way: the return of consciousness and pr\u0101\u1e47a to the source of their origin, which terminates the process … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,19],"tags":[55],"class_list":["post-497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-yoga-agas","category-yogic-practice","tag-pratyahara"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=497"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/497\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1049,"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/497\/revisions\/1049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}