जालन्धरौड्ड्यानकमूलबन्धान्
जल्पन्ति कण्ठोदरपायुमूले ।
बन्धत्रयेऽस्मिन् परिचीयमाने
बन्धः कुतो दारुणकालपाशैः ॥५॥
1️⃣ Literal Meaning
- जालन्धर-उड्डियान-मूल-बन्धान्
— the bandhas called Jālandhara, Uḍḍiyāna, and Mūla - जल्पन्ति
— they speak (people talk about / describe) - कण्ठ-उदर-पायु-मूले
— at the throat, abdomen, and root (perineum)
- बन्धत्रयेऽस्मिन् परिचीयमाने
— when this triad of bandhas is properly practiced / mastered - बन्धः कुतः
— where is bondage? - दारुण-काल-पाशैः
— by the terrible noose of Time (death / saṃsāra)
2️⃣ Clean Meaning
“People speak of the three bandhas — Jālandhara at the throat, Uḍḍiyāna at the abdomen, and Mūla at the root. When this triad of bandhas is mastered, how can there be bondage by the terrible noose of Time?”
3️⃣ What Is the Verse Doing?
This verse is not rejecting bandhas.
It is:
Elevating their significance to the level of liberation.
But we must interpret carefully.
4️⃣ “जल्पन्ति” — A Subtle Word
This word is important.
- It can mean “they speak”
- sometimes even “they merely talk about”
So two possible tones:
Reading A (Straightforward)
People describe these three bandhas.
Reading B (Subtle hint)
People only talk about them, but do not realize their depth.
Given the second half, both meanings can coexist.
5️⃣ What Does “परिचीयमाने” Mean?
Not casual practice.
It means:
deeply cultivated, internalized, mastered
So:
This is not about:
- physical locking only
But about:
full energetic integration of bandhas
6️⃣ The Central Claim
“बन्धः कुतः दारुणकालपाशैः”
How can there be bondage to Time (death, saṃsāra)?
This is a very strong statement.
It equates:
mastery of bandhas = freedom from existential bondage
7️⃣ How Can Bandhas Do This?
This is the key question.
Bandhas act on prāṇa.
From earlier verses:
- prāṇa ↔ mind
- mind ↔ bondage
So:
If bandhas:
→ stabilize prāṇa
→ prāṇa stabilizes mind
→ mind dissolves
Then:
bondage (which is mental identification) disappears
8️⃣ Deeper Mechanism
Each bandha contributes:
🔹 Mūla Bandha
- prevents downward dissipation
- stabilizes base
🔹 Uḍḍiyāna Bandha
- lifts prāṇa upward
- centralizes flow
🔹 Jālandhara Bandha
- prevents upward escape
- seals system
Together:
prāṇa becomes locked in central channel
When prāṇa stops dispersing:
- mind cannot project outward
- duality weakens
9️⃣ Connection with Nāda (Previous Verses)
Now the integration becomes clear:
- Verse 3 → nāḍī purification
- Verse 4 → nāda leads to laya
- Verse 5 → bandhas stabilize prāṇa for that process
So:
Bandhas support the condition in which nāda becomes effective
🔟 Important Caution
This verse can be misunderstood as:
“Doing bandhas physically gives liberation”
That is incorrect.
Because:
- physical lock ≠ prāṇic mastery
- prāṇic mastery ≠ automatic bodha
The verse assumes:
internalization, not mechanical execution
1️⃣1️⃣ Subtle Insight
Notice the play on word “bandha”:
- bandha (lock) → yogic tool
- bandha (bondage) → existential condition
Verse says:
When you master the “bandhas” (locks),
the “bandha” (bondage) disappears.
Now, We will have some insights about Time, as referred in tis verse..
1️⃣ Literal Meaning of काल
In Sanskrit काल can mean several things:
- Time
- Death
- The devourer / destroyer
- Cosmic process of change
In yogic texts these meanings are often simultaneously intended.
So कालपाश literally means:
“the noose of time / death that binds beings to saṃsāra.”
2️⃣ How Time Binds the Mind
Your insight touches the core point.
The experience of time depends on:
- memory (past)
- anticipation (future)
- change of mental states
All three are functions of mind (manas).
When the mind is active:
- it measures change
- it constructs sequence
- it experiences duration
Thus psychological time arises.
3️⃣ When Mind Dissolves
In deep yogic absorption:
- mental modifications stop
- memory and anticipation pause
- awareness remains without succession
In that condition:
the sense of time disappears.
4️⃣ Why Bandhas Affect Time
Bandhas stabilize prāṇa.
And classical yoga states:
प्राणबन्धनात् मनोबन्धः
control of prāṇa leads to control of mind.
When prāṇa becomes steady:
- mind loses its fluctuations
- mental sequence stops
This is what the verse hints at.
when, through bandha, prāṇa becomes still, and mind subsides:
- the sequence-making faculty weakens
- memory and expectation no longer dominate
- awareness is no longer moving from one point to another
Then there is not exactly “time passing.”
Therefore:
The internal perception of time collapses.
There is only presence.
5️⃣ Meaning of “कालपाश”
So कालपाश can be understood at three levels:
1. Biological level
Time → aging → death.
2. Psychological level
Mind creates past–future → bondage of memory and expectation.
3. Metaphysical level
The cycle of saṃsāra, governed by time and change.
When mind dissolves in awareness:
- psychological time disappears
- identification with the body weakens
- thus the “noose of time” loses its hold.
6️⃣ Why the Verse Uses “पाश” (Noose)
A noose binds something that moves.
Mind constantly moves through:
- memories
- projections
- desires
Thus it gets caught in time.
But when mind dissolves:
there is nothing left for the noose to bind.
7️⃣ The Yogic Insight
So your interpretation is essentially correct:
When mind dissolves, the conceptual framework that measures time disappears.
Awareness itself:
- does not move
- does not age
- does not measure duration.
Thus from that standpoint:
काल has no authority.
8️⃣ Subtle Advaita View
In Advaita terms:
Time itself appears within consciousness.
So when consciousness rests in itself:
- time becomes just a phenomenon within it
- not something that binds it.