Verse 27
स्पर्शान्कृत्वा बहिर्बाह्यांश्चक्षुश्चैवान्तरे भ्रुवोः | प्राणापानौ समौ कृत्वा नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ || २७ ||
Transliteration
sparśān kṛtvā bahir bāhyāṃś cakṣuś caivāntare bhruvoḥ prāṇāpānau samau kṛtvā nāsābhyantara-cāriṇau
Synonyms
sparśān—sense objects; kṛtvā—keeping; bahiḥ—outside; bāhyān—external; cakṣuḥ—eyes; ca—also; eva—certainly; antare—between; bhruvoḥ—the eyebrows; prāṇa-apānau—the outgoing and incoming breath; samau—equal; kṛtvā—making; nāsa-abhyantara—within the nostrils; cāriṇau—blowing.
Translation
“Keeping external sense objects outside, fixing the gaze between the eyebrows, equalising the incoming and outgoing breaths within the nostrils —”
Multi-Tradition Commentary
Verses 5.27-28 together describe the meditative posture of the Sage who is approaching liberation. External objects are shut out through withdrawal of the senses (pratyahara). The gaze is directed inward at the ajna chakra (between the eyebrows). The breath is balanced through pranayama. These are not ends in themselves but preparations for the culminating knowledge described in verse 5.29.
Practical Application (Modern Life)
This verse gives a concrete meditation technique: sit still, close your eyes, gently direct your inner gaze upward to the point between the eyebrows, and focus on the natural rhythm of your breath entering and leaving the nostrils. Even five minutes of this practice can significantly settle the mind.