sparśān kṛtvā bahir bāhyāṁś cakṣuś caivāntare bhruvoḥ prāṇāpānau samau kṛtvā nāsābhyantara-cāriṇau
"Shutting out external contacts, fixing the gaze between the eyebrows, equalizing the inward and outward breaths moving within the nostrils..."
What This Means:
Krishna begins describing meditation technique: First, shut out external sense contacts. Fix your gaze at the point between the eyebrows. Equalize the incoming and outgoing breath in the nostrils. (Continued in next verse.)
Going Deeper:
'Sparshan bahih kritva' (making contacts external)—withdrawing attention from the senses. 'Chakshuh antare bhruvoh' (gaze between eyebrows)—the ajna chakra focus point. 'Prana-apanau samau kritva' (making prana and apana equal)—breath regulation. This is a classic meditation instruction for interiorizing awareness.
How To Apply This:
This is practical meditation instruction: Close your eyes, withdraw from external stimuli, focus at the third eye point (between eyebrows), and observe your breath becoming balanced. These aren't arbitrary techniques—each element helps turn attention inward.
Key Sanskrit Terms: