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Seated figure beside two intertwined plant stems.
Seated figure beside two intertwined plant stems.

Gorakṣaśataka 9–11: Two Causes, Three Means of Practice

Mental conditioning and breath are connected. Moderate eating, a seated posture and moving the power are named as three approaches.

Dr. Ronald Steiner Dr. Ronald Steiner
Gorakṣaśataka (Original) 9
हेतुद्वयञ् च चित्तस्य वासना च समीरणः |
hetu-dvayañ ca cittasya; vāsanā ca samīraṇaḥ | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
hetu
tatpuruṣa-compound genitive
hetu
substantive masculine
 of causes
dvayam
nominative singular
dvaya
substantive neuter
 pair
ca
ca
particle
 and
cittasya
genitive singular
citta
substantive neuter
 of the mind
vāsanā
nominative singular
vāsanā
substantive feminine
 conditioning
ca
ca
particle
 and
samīraṇaḥ
nominative singular
samīraṇa
substantive masculine
 breath
तयोर् विनष्ट एकस्मिंस्तौ द्वाव् अपि विनश्यतः ||9||
tayor vinaṣṭa ekasmiṃs; tau dvāv api vinaśyataḥ ||9|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
tayoḥ
genitive dual masculine
tad
pronoun dem
 of these two
vinaṣṭe
lokative absolutus singular masculine past participle passive
vi
previx
naś
verbal root
 when ceased
ekasmin
lokative singular masculine
eka
numeral
 one
tau
nominative dual masculine
tad
pronoun dem
 these two
dvau
nominative dual masculine
dvi
numeral
 both
api
api
particle
 also
vinaśyataḥ
3rd person dual aktive present
vi
previx
naś
verbal root
 cease
And (ca) the mind (cittasya | gen sg) has two causes (hetu-dvayam | nom sg): conditioning (vāsanā | nom sg) and (ca) breath (samīraṇaḥ | nom sg). When one (ekasmin | loc sg m) of the two (tayoḥ | gen du m) has ceased (vinaṣṭe | loc absl sg m ppp), these (tau | nom du m) two (dvau | nom du m) both (api) cease (vinaśyataḥ | 3p du act pres).
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal
Habits and breathing can keep thoughts moving. A change through one of these approaches may also change the other.
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer
tau dvāv api vinaśyataḥ ] tasmai dvāv api naśyataḥ R7874apJM
Critical Apparatus

vāsanā denotes an enduring disposition or tendency. Mallinson reconstructs the second half-verse with reference to the Haṭhapradīpikā. The dual verb vinaśyataḥ refers to both causes.

Apparatus Comment
Gorakṣaśataka (Original) 10
तयोर् आदौ समीरस्य जयं च कुरु सम्मतः |
tayor ādau samīrasya; jayaṃ ca kuru sammataḥ | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
tayoḥ
genitive dual masculine
tad
pronoun dem
 of these two
ādau
lokative singular
ādi
substantive masculine
 at the outset
samīrasya
genitive singular
samīra
substantive masculine
 of the breath
jayam
accusative singular
jaya
substantive masculine
 mastery
ca
ca
particle
 and
kuru
2nd person singular aktive imperative
kṛ
verbal root
 accomplish
sammataḥ
nominative singular masculine past participle passive
sam
previx
man
verbal root
 esteemed
यथा त्वं पुरुषो मुक्तो भवेर् मुक्तो जनादिभिः ||10||
yathā tvaṃ puruṣo mukto; bhaver mukto janādibhiḥ ||10|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
yathā
yathā
particle
 as, so that
tvam
nominative singular
yuṣmad
pronoun pers 2p
 you
puruṣaḥ
nominative singular
puruṣa
substantive masculine
 the person
muktaḥ
nominative singular masculine past participle passive
muc
verbal root
 liberated
bhaveḥ
2nd person singular aktive optative
bhū
verbal root
 you may become
muktaḥ
nominative singular masculine past participle passive
muc
verbal root
 liberated
jana
tatpuruṣa-compound genitive
jana
substantive masculine
 of people
ādibhiḥ
instrumental case plural
ādi
substantive masculine
 from these and other things
And (ca), esteemed one (sammataḥ | nom sg m ppp), first (ādau | loc sg) accomplish (kuru | 2p sg act imp) mastery (jayam | acc sg) of the breath (samīrasya | gen sg) among these two (tayoḥ | gen du m), so that (yathā) you (tvam | nom sg) may become (bhaveḥ | 2p sg act opt) a liberated (muktaḥ | nom sg m ppp) person (puruṣaḥ | nom sg), released (muktaḥ | nom sg m ppp) from people and other [ties] (jana-ādibhiḥ | ins pl).
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal
Begin with something you can experience directly: your breath. This can open up greater independence in your response to outside influences.
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer
bhaver ] bhaven R7874apJM
Critical Apparatus

sammataḥ is formally nominative; the translation provisionally treats it as a predicative form of address. janādibhiḥ remains broad: people and other ties.

Apparatus Comment
Gorakṣaśataka (Original) 11
मरुज्जयस्य तस्योक्तं साधनत्रयम् उत्तमम् |
maruj-jayasya tasyoktaṃ; sādhana-trayam uttamam | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
marut
tatpuruṣa-compound genitive
marut
substantive masculine
 of the breath
jayasya
genitive singular
jaya
substantive masculine
 of mastery
tasya
genitive singular masculine
tad
pronoun dem
 of this
uktam
nominative singular neuter past participle passive
vac
verbal root
 called
sādhana
tatpuruṣa-compound genitive
sādhana
substantive neuter
 of means
trayam
nominative singular
traya
substantive neuter
 three
uttamam
nominative singular neuter
uttama
adjective
 excellent
मिताहारश्चासनं च शक्तिचालस्तृतीयकः ||11||
mitāhāraś cāsanaṃ ca; śakti-cālas tṛtīyakaḥ ||11|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
mita
karmadhāraya-compound past participle passive
mā
verbal root
 measured
āhāraḥ
nominative singular
āhāra
substantive masculine
 food
ca
ca
particle
 and
āsanam
nominative singular
āsana
substantive neuter
 seated posture
ca
ca
particle
 and
śakti
tatpuruṣa-compound genitive
śakti
substantive feminine
 of the power
cālaḥ
nominative singular
cāla
substantive masculine
 moving
tṛtīyakaḥ
nominative singular masculine
tṛtīyaka
adjective
 third
Three excellent (uttamam | nom sg n) means (sādhana-trayam | nom sg) are taught (uktam | nom sg n ppp) for this (tasya | gen sg m) mastery of the breath (marut-jayasya | gen sg): moderate eating (mita-āhāraḥ | nom sg), and (ca) a seated posture (āsanam | nom sg), and (ca), third (tṛtīyakaḥ | nom sg m), moving the power (śakti-cālaḥ | nom sg).
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal
Practice needs a supportive daily life, a suitable posture and a conscious relationship with your energy. These three aspects support each other.
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

The list explicitly names three means. In the following section, śakticāla means moving Kuṇḍalinī, the power imagined as coiled. This should not automatically be equated with a modern idea of bodily “energy”.

Apparatus Comment

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Dr. Ronald Steiner

Dr. Ronald Steiner

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The "Yoga Doc" - Dr. Ronald Steiner is the founder of the AYI method. This method links traditional Ashtanga Yoga with innovative Yogatherapy and living Philosophy. This forms a practice that is personal for each and... more ›

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