Engage your senses in Krishna's service rather than struggling to suppress them through mechanical yoga.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.41 — December 19, 1973, Los Angeles 731219SB-LOS ANGELES [33:29 Minutes] SB-01.15.41_731219SB-LOS ANGELES Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] vācaṁ juhāva manasi tat prāṇa itare ca tam mṛtyāv apānaṁ sotsargaṁ taṁ pañcatve hy ajohavīt [SB 1.15.41] Prabhupāda: Yes?
Pradyumna: vācam—speeches; juhāva—relinquished; manasi—into the mind; tat prāṇe—mind into breathing; itare ca—other senses also; tam—into that; mṛtyau—into death; apānam—breathing; sa-utsargam—with all dedication; tam—that; pañcatve—into the body made of five elements; hi—certainly; ajohavīt—amalgamated it. [break] [03:00] Translation: "Then he amalgamated all the sense organs into the mind, the mind into life, life into breathing, his total existence into the embodiments of the five elements, and his body into death. Then, as pure self, he became free from the material conception of life." Prabhupāda: Hmm. Read the purport also.
Pradyumna: "Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, like his brother Arjuna, began to concentrate and gradually became freed from all material bondage. First of all he concentrated all the actions of the senses amalgamated in the mind. Or in other words, he turned his mind towards transcendental service of the Lord. He prayed that all material activities were performed by the mind, actions and reactions of the material senses, and since he was going back to Godhead, the mind would wind up its material activities and be turned towards the transcendental service of the Lord.
There was no longer need for material activities. "Actually, the activities of the mind cannot be stopped, because they are the reflection of the eternal soul. But the quality of the activities can be changed from matter to the transcendental service of the Lord. The material color of the mind is changed by washing it from contaminations of life breathing and therefore getting it freed from the contamination of repeated births and deaths and getting it situated in pure spiritual life. All was manifested by the temporary embodiment of the material body, which is a production of mind at the time of death.
And if the mind is purified by practice of transcendental loving service of the Lord, and the same is constantly engaged in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord, there is no more chance of the mind's producing another material body after death. It will be freed from the absorption of material contamination. The pure soul will be able to return back home, back to Godhead." Prabhupāda: So this verse described in the manner of yogic practice. The yogic practice means controlling five kinds of air within the body: prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, like that.
That is breathing exercise, yoga practice. So it appears that Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira knew how to practice the yoga. Not only Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira; practically any high-class man, especially the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas, every one of them knew this practice, yoga practice. So at the time of death they could utilize, how to give up this body. That is perfection of yoga.
The yogīs, they can give up the life or give this..., relinquish this body, according to his own desire, not compelled by the material condition. That is yoga system. Generally, a man dies under the obligation of material laws. But a yogī, he controls in such a way that he leaves the body... Just like Bhīṣmadeva.