“The breath makes the sound Sa when it goes outside, and again makes the sound Ha when it enters inside. This mantra is continuously recited by a living being.”
This isn't a verse from the Vigyan Bhairava Tantra. It is an idea from commentary on the text. For the text's own words, see the verses we've referenced.
About the text: Vigyan Bhairava Tantra
The Vigyan Bhairava Tantra (Vijnana Bhairava Tantra) is a Sanskrit text of Kashmir Shaivism, framed as the goddess asking Bhairava, a form of Shiva, about his nature. Its 163 short verses describe roughly 112 meditation methods using the breath, the senses and awareness itself. It is often dated to around the 7th or 8th century, though the date is uncertain.
More from the Vigyan Bhairava Tantra
- “Meditate on the breath at two places, the dvadashanta and the heart, and one is liberated and attains independence.”
- “Meditate on the Shiva-nature at the farthest limits of the whole universe, and a great awakening follows.”
- “When strong emotions appear, stop the mind, then only true Reality will unfold.”
- “Life's greatest joy is found in the self, not in the external world.”
- “Consider the whole universe being dissolved step by step, from the gross to the subtle, until finally the mind itself dissolves.”
- “God is beyond all concepts of time or direction and cannot be confined to a particular place.”