Text 8] Maharaja Prthu’s Going Back Home 981
TEXT 8
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MOTTA: AaVAISAS ATTA: I < II
tena kramanusiddhena
dhvasta-karma-malasayah
pranayamaih sanniruddha-
sad-vargas chinna-bandhanah

tena—thus by practicing such austerities; krama—gradually; anu—con-
stantly; siddhena—by perfection; dhvasta—smashed; karma-—fruitive
activities; mala—dirty things; asayah—desire; pranayamaih—by practice of
pranayama-yoga, breathing exercises; san—being; niruddha—stopped; sat-
vargah—the mind and the senses; chinna-bandhanah—completely cut off
from all bondage.

TRANSLATION

By thus practicing severe austerities, Maharaja Prthu gradually became
steadfast in spiritual life and completely free of all desires for fruitive
activities. He also practiced breathing exercises to control his mind and
senses, and by such control he became completely free from all desires for
fruitive activity.

PURPORT

The word pranayamaih is very important in this verse because the
hatha-yogis and astanga-yogis practice pranayama, but generally they do
not know the purpose behind it. The purpose of pranayama, or mystic
yoga, is to stop the mind and senses from engaging in fruitive activities.
The so-called yogis who practice in Western countries have no idea of this.
The aim of pranayama is not to make the body strong and fit for working
hard. The aim is worship of Krsna. In the previous verse it was specifically
mentioned that whatever austerity, pranayama and mystic yoga practices
Prthu Maharaja performed were performed for the sake of worshiping
Krsna. Thus Prthu Maharaja serves as a perfect example for yogis also.
Whatever he did, he did to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Krsna.

The minds of those who are addicted to fruitive activity are always
filled with unclean desires. Fruitive activities are symptomatic of our
polluted desire to dominate material nature. As long as one continues to
