September 11, 2026
yadā svakarmaṇi spande vyagraḥ prāṇo bhṛśaṁ bhavet
tadā tadīhitavyagraḥ prāṇo nā ‘‘tmodyamī bhavet (12)
VASIṢṬHA continued:
The mind (citta) is the creator of the world with all that is real, unreal or mixed which is in it. Prāṇa (life-force) was brought into being by the mind with the idea: “Prāṇa is my movement and I shall not be without prāṇa or life-force. Hence it shall be my goal. Even if I am without prāṇa for some time, I shall immediately be with prāṇa again.” The moment this prāṇa gets united with the mind, it sees the illusory world. Because of the firm notion “I shall never again be without the life-force and the body”, it does not regain its true nature as pure consciousness.
It experiences sorrow since it swings from one extreme to the other on account of doubt. This sorrow cannot cease except when the self-knowledge arises. Nothing other than self-knowledge can remove the wrong notion “I am this”. Self-knowledge does not arise except through the investigation of the means for liberation. Hence, by every means one should investigate the means for liberation.
The mind constantly entertains the notion that “The life-force is my own life” and therefore the mind rests in prāṇa. When the body is in a state of well-being, the mind functions well but when the body does not enjoy a state of well-being, the mind does not see anything other than the physical disturbance. When the prāṇa (life-force) is busily engaged in its own vigorous movement, then it is absorbed in its own movement and is unable to exert in self-knowledge.
Thus, the relationship between the mind and the prāṇa is that of a rider and the vehicle. Such was the notion entertained by the infinite consciousness right in the beginning; and therefore this relationship prevails even today. One who is not enlightened is unable to transcend it. The ignorant person continues to entertain unshakable notions concerning time, space, matter, mind, prāṇa and body. When the mind and the prāṇa function in harmony, the person engages himself in various activities. When there is disturbance there is disharmony. When both are at peace, there is sleep. When the nāḍīs (channels of energy) are clogged by food, etc., and there is inertia, the movement of prāṇa becomes dull and there is sleep. Again, even when the nāḍīs are not clogged by food, etc., but when there is weakness or fatigue, the prāṇa is unable to move properly and one sleeps. When the nāḍīs themselves become soft and weak for whatever reason, when they are loaded with all sorts of impurities and when the prāṇa is thus engaged in some extraordinary activity, then too, sleep arises.
THE SAGE said:
When darkness fell, then the person into whose heart I had entered fell into deep sleep. I too enjoyed this deep sleep. Then, when the food he had eaten had been digested and when the nāḍīs were clear, the life-force began to move vigorously and sleep weakened.