“Ujjayi destroys constipation, consumption, and disorders of the spleen.”
The verses: Gheranda Samhita 5.71–72
The quote above is our paraphrase. These are the verses as they read in the Srisa Chandra Vasu translation (1915):
“All works are accomplished by Ujjayi Kumbhaka. He is never attacked by phlegm diseases, or nervous diseases, or indigestion, or dysentery, or consumption, or cough; or fever or [enlarged] spleen. Let a man perform Ujjayi to destroy decay and death.”
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
- “With blissful mind, he should realize that he is Brahman.”
- “The great Varisara cleans the body. The yogi who practices it zealously obtains a divine body.”
- “Paschimottanasana relieves ailments and purifies the nadis.”
- “Through pranayama, the yogi gets the ability to move through space; through pranayama, diseases are destroyed.”
- “Like an unbaked pot in water, the body is always decaying. One should bake it with the fire of Yoga and make it pure.”
- “In the body, the self is consciousness. It is without a second, eternal, and supreme.”