Bhagavad Gita BG 8.12
Chapter 8, Verse 12 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च । मूर्ध्न्याधायात्मनः प्राणं आस्थितो योगधारणाम् ॥
sarva-dvarani samyamya mano hrdi nirudhya ca murdhny adhayatmanah pranam asthito yoga-dharanam
Meaning
Having controlled all the gates (senses), having restrained the mind in the heart, having fixed the prana at the crown of the head — established in yogic concentration...
Understanding
The technical death-yoga instruction. Sarva-dvarani samyamya (controlling all gates — the nine gates of the body, the sense-openings). Mano hrdi nirudhya (restraining the mind in the hridaya — the spiritual heart, the cave of the heart where the Self dwells). Murdhny adhaya atmanah pranam (fixing the prana at the murdhni — the crown/top of the head, the brahmarandhra). Asthita yoga-dharana (established in yogic concentration/holding). This describes the conscious withdrawal of prana upward at the moment of death.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| सर्वद्वाराणि | sarva-dvarani | all gates (the openings of the body/senses) |
| हृदि | hrdi | in the heart (the spiritual heart-center) |
| निरुध्य | nirudhya | having restrained, having gathered |
| मूर्ध्नि | murdhni | at the crown, at the top of the head |
| योगधारणाम् | yoga-dharanam | yogic concentration, yogic holding |
| सर्व-द्वाराणि | sarva-dvārāṇi | all the gates (of the body) |
| संयम्य | saṃyamya | controlling, restraining |
| मनः | manaḥ | the mind |
| हृदि | hṛdi | in the heart |
| च | ca | and |
| मूर्ध्नि | mūrdhni | in the crown of the head |
| आधाय | ādhāya | having placed, fixing |
| आत्मनः | ātmanaḥ | of the self |
| प्राणम् | prāṇam | the life force |
| आस्थितः | āsthitaḥ | established in, engaged in |
| योग-धारणाम् | yoga-dhāraṇām | yogic concentration |