“Hold the mind back from sounds, whether complimentary, rude, pleasant, or horrible, and bring it under control in the self.”
The verse: Gheranda Samhita 4.3
The quote above is our paraphrase. This is the verse as it reads in the Srisa Chandra Vasu translation (1915):
“Praise or censure; good speech or bad speech; let one withdraw his mind from all these and bring the Chitta under the control of the Self.”
About the text: Gheranda Samhita
The Gheranda Samhita is a Sanskrit hatha yoga manual, probably from the late 17th century, framed as the sage Gheranda teaching a student named Chanda. Its seven chapters set out a sevenfold yoga, from cleansing practices and postures to breath control, meditation and samadhi.
More from the Gheranda Samhita
- “Through union with the highest self, one can attain samadhi.”
- “One does not grow old, one does not get fevers, and one keeps imbalances at bay through purification.”
- “The yogi should visualize a sublime ocean of nectar in his heart.”
- “All together there are as many asanas as there are species of living beings. Shiva has taught 8,400,000.”
- “Purification, strength, steadiness, calmness, lightness, realization, and abstraction are the seven means of perfecting the body.”
- “Sahita, Suryabheda, Ujjayi, Shitali, Bhastrika, Bhramari, Murccha, and Kevali are the eight kumbhakas.”