Dattātreyayogaśāstra 146–149: Reversing Sun and Moon

The inversion strengthens digestive fire and is lengthened daily; sufficient food protects the body while grey hair and wrinkles are said to disappear.

Dr. Ronald Steiner

Nils Jacob Liersch 24.07.2019

Dattātreyayogaśāstra 146

करणं विपरीताख्यं सर्वव्याधिविनाशनम् |

karaṇaṃ viparītākhyaṃ; sarva-vyādhi-vināśanam | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

karaṇam nominative singular	karaṇa substantive neuter	technique
viparīta karmadhāraya-compound	viparīta adjective	inverted
ākhyam nominative singular neuter	ākhya adjective	called
sarva karmadhāraya-compound	sarva adjective	all
vyādhi tatpuruṣa-compound genitive	vyādhi substantive masculine	disease
vināśanam nominative singular neuter	vi previx nāśana adjective	destroying

नित्यमभ्यासयुक्तस्य जठराग्निर्विवर्धते ||146||

nityam abhyāsa-yuktasya; jaṭharāgnir vivardhate ||146|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

nityam	nityam adverb	regularly
abhyāsa bahuvrīhi-compund	abhyāsa substantive masculine	practice
yuktasya genitive singular masculine past participle passive	yuj verbal root	engaged
jaṭhara tatpuruṣa-compound lokative	jaṭhara substantive neuter	digestive
agniḥ nominative singular	agni substantive masculine	fire
vivardhate 3rd person singular medial present	vi previx vṛdh verbal root	increases

Metre: Anuṣṭubh

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Viparītakaraṇī, the inverted practice, is said to destroy disease and strengthen the digestive fire when cultivated regularly.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

Dattātreyayogaśāstra 147

आहारो बहुलस्तस्य संपाद्यः सांकृते ध्रुवम् |

āhāro bahulas tasya; saṃpādyaḥ sāṃkṛte dhruvam | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

āhāraḥ nominative singular	āhāra substantive masculine	food
bahulaḥ nominative singular masculine	bahula adjective	abundant
tasya genitive singular masculine	tad pronoun	for him
saṃpādyaḥ nominative singular masculine future participle passive	sam previx pad verbal root	to be provided
sāṃkṛte vokative singular	sāṃkṛti substantive masculine	O Sāṃkṛti
dhruvam	dhruvam adverb	certainly

अल्पाहारो यदि भवेदग्निर्देहं दहेत्क्षणात् ||147||

alpāhāro yadi bhaved; agnir dehaṃ dahet kṣaṇāt ||147|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

alpa karmadhāraya-compound	alpa adjective	little
hāraḥ nominative singular	āhāra substantive masculine	food
yadi	yadi particle	if
bhavet 3rd person singular aktive optative	bhū verbal root	there is
agniḥ nominative singular	agni substantive masculine	fire
deham accusative singular	deha substantive masculine	body
dahet 3rd person singular aktive optative	dah verbal root	may burn
kṣaṇāt ablative singular	kṣaṇa substantive masculine	in an instant

Metre: Anuṣṭubh

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

The practitioner is told to eat sufficiently, because too little food allows the intensified inner fire to consume the body.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

saṃpādyaḥ JM2024 ] sampādyaḥ DYŚ

dehaṃ dahet kṣaṇāt JM2024 ] dāhaṃ karoti vai DYŚ

Critical Apparatus

Dattātreyayogaśāstra 148

ऊर्ध्वं भानुरधश्चन्द्रस्तद्यथा शृणु सांकृते |

ūrdhvaṃ bhānur adhaś candras; tad yathā śṛṇu sāṃkṛte | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

ūrdhvam	ūrdhvam adverb	above
bhānuḥ nominative singular	bhānu substantive masculine	sun
adhaḥ	adhas adverb	below
candraḥ nominative singular	candra substantive masculine	moon
tat accusative singular neuter	tad pronoun dem	that
yathā	yathā adverb	how
śṛṇu 2nd person singular aktive imperative	śru verbal root	listen
sāṃkṛte vokative singular	sāṃkṛti substantive masculine	O Sāṃkṛti

अधःशिराश्चोर्ध्वपादः क्षणं स्यात्प्रथमे दिने ||148||

adhaḥ-śirāś cordhva-pādaḥ; kṣaṇaṃ syāt prathame dine ||148|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

adhaḥ karmadhāraya-compound	adhas adverb	downward
śirāḥ nominative singular	śiras substantive neuter	head
ca	ca particle	and
ūrdhva karmadhāraya-compound	ūrdhva adjective	upward
pādaḥ nominative singular	pāda substantive masculine	feet
kṣanam accusative singular	kṣaṇa substantive masculine	a moment
syāt 3rd person singular aktive optative	as verbal root	should remain
prathame lokative singular neuter	prathama adjective	on the first
dine lokative singular	dina substantive neuter	day

Metre: Anuṣṭubh

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Dattātreya explains to Sāṃkṛti the bodily reversal of sun and moon. On the first day the inverted position is held only briefly.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

adhaḥśirāś JM2024 ] adhaḥ śiraś DYŚ

Critical Apparatus

Dattātreyayogaśāstra 149

क्षणाच्च किं चिदधिकमभ्यसेच्च दिने दिने |

kṣaṇāc ca kiṃ cid adhikam; abhyasec ca dine dine | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

kṣaṇāt ablative singular	kṣaṇa substantive masculine	from a moment
ca	ca particle	and
kim nominative singular neuter	kim pronoun	something
cit	cit suffix	perhaps
adhikam	adhikam adverb	more
abhyaset 3rd person singular aktive optative	abhi previx as verbal root	should practise
ca	ca particle	and
dine lokative singular	dina substantive masculine	day
dine lokative singular	dina substantive masculine	by day

वलितं पलितं चैव षण्मासोर्ध्वं न दृश्यते ||149||

valitaṃ palitaṃ caiva; ṣaṇ-māsordhvaṃ na dṛśyate ||149|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

valitam nominative singular	valita substantive neuter	wrinkling
palitam nominative singular	palita substantive neuter	grey hair
ca	ca particle	and
eva	eva particle	likewise
ṣaṭ karmadhāraya-compound	ṣaṭ numeral	six
māsaḥ nominative singular	māsa substantive masculine	months
ūrdhvam	ūrdhvam adverb	after
na	na particle	not
dṛśyate 3rd person singular passive present	dṛś verbal root	is seen

Metre: Anuṣṭubh

Beginning with a moment (kṣaṇāt | abl sg), he should practise (abhyaset | 3p sg act opt) a little (kiṃ cit) longer (adhikam) day by day (dine dine | loc sg). After six months (ṣaṇ-māsordhvam), wrinkling (valitam | nom sg n) and grey hair (palitam | nom sg n) are no longer (na) seen (dṛśyate | 3p sg pas pres).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

The duration is increased little by little each day. After six months, grey hair and wrinkles are said to disappear.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

kṣaṇāc ca kiṃ cid adhikam abhyasec ca JM2024 ] kṣaṇāt tu kiṃ cit adhikam abhyāsena DYŚ

Critical Apparatus

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Dr. Ronald Steiner

From Ulm

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 ›

Nils Jacob Liersch

Meine Begeisterung für Yoga, indische Philosophie und Sanskrit führte mich zum Studium der Indologie und Religionswissenschaft an der Universität Heidelberg. Seit 2004 befinde ich mich auf meinem persönlichen Yogaweg... more ›

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Dattātreyayogaśāstra 146–149: Reversing Sun and Moon

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