Upanishads · Yogakuṇḍalinī 1.50
॥
Devanāgarī
शनैः शनैर्यदा प्राणस्तुन्दसन्धिं निगच्छति । तुन्ददोषं विनिर्धूय कर्तव्यं सततं शनैः
Transliteration (IAST)
śanaiḥ śanairyadā prāṇastundasandhiṃ nigacchati | tundadoṣaṃ vinirdhūya kartavyaṃ satataṃ śanaiḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
शनैः शनैः यदा प्राणःśanaiḥ śanaiḥ yadā prāṇaḥgradually, when the breath
तुन्द-सन्धिं निगच्छतिtunda-sandhiṃ nigacchatireaches the joint of the belly
तुन्द-दोषं विनिर्धूयtunda-doṣaṃ vinirdhūyahaving shaken off the disorder of the belly
कर्तव्यं सततं शनैःkartavyaṃ satataṃ śanaiḥmust be done constantly, slowly
Translation
"Gradually, when the breath reaches the joint of the belly, — having shaken off the disorder of the belly, must it be done constantly and slowly".
Version
989d305648d0 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The line is composed entirely of adverbs of gradualness: shanaih shanaih, "gradually"; satatam, "constantly"; shanaih, "slowly." Three words in one line about the same thing; and this is not carelessness but emphasis. This whole book, for all its promises, is sober about terms: nowhere does it say the result will come soon. On the contrary, everywhere — gradually, constantly, day after day, with an increment of five a day (1.55).
This is worth noting especially, because here the book departs from the ordinary picture of such subjects. It is supposed that teachings of this kind promise sudden transformation; but the treatise from which all this grew promises gradualness and demands a count of days. The Vaishnava side is in full agreement with it here and says the same in her own words. The Bhagavatam describes how attachment is born gradually: shraddha, sadhu-sanga, bhajana-kriya, anartha-nivritti, and so on up to love (1.2.16–20); and there are nine stages there, and every one requires time.
Promises of the swift do exist in these books, and, as a rule, stand in the places where the author is praising his own means. But where he explains how it is done, there always stands shanaih shanaih.