pÄrṣṇyÄpÄ«á¸ya gudaá¹ prÄṇaá¹
há¹›d-uraḥ-kaṇá¹ha-mÅ«rdhasu
Äropya brahma-randhreṇa
brahma nītvotsṛjet tanum
pÄrṣṇyÄ - with the heel of the foot; ÄpÄ«á¸ya - blocking; gudam - the anus; prÄṇam - the vital air carrying the living entity; há¹›t - from the heart; uraḥ - to the chest; kaṇá¹ha - to the neck; mÅ«rdhasu - and to the head; Äropya - placing; brahma-randhreṇa - by the spiritual seat at the top of the head; brahma - to the spiritual world or impersonal Brahman (or any other destination one has selected); nÄ«tvÄ - leading (the soul); utsá¹›jet - one should give up; tanum - the material body.
The yogī who has achieved the mystic perfection called svacchanda-mṛtyu blocks the anus with the heel of the foot and then lifts the soul from the heart to the chest, to the neck and finally to the head. Situated within the brahma-randhra, the yogī then gives up his material body and guides the spirit soul to the selected destination.
This mystic opulence of svacchandu-má¹›tyu, or dying at will, was wonderfully exhibited by BhÄ«á¹£madeva at the end of the Battle of Kuruká¹£etra. According to ÅšrÄ«la ÅšrÄ«dhara SvÄmÄ«, the term brahma, as used in this verse, is an example of upalaká¹£aṇa, or the use of a general term to indicate various concepts. Brahma here indicates the particular destination selected by the yogÄ«, namely the spiritual sky, the impersonal brahmajyoti or any other destination that has attracted the yogī’s mind.
