Others offer as sacrifice the outgoing breath in the incoming, and the incoming in the outgoing, restraining the course of the outgoing and the incoming breaths, solely absorbed in the restraint of the breath.
In simple words
Krishna describes the practice of breath control: "Some practitioners focus entirely on mastering the breath — offering the outgoing breath into the incoming, and the incoming into the outgoing — until they rest in complete stillness."
Word-by-word meanings
अपानेin the outgoing breathजुह्वतिsacrificeप्राणम्incoming breathप्राणेin the incoming breathअपानम्outgoing breathतथाthusअपरेothersप्राणापानगतीcourses of the outgoing and incoming breathsरुद्ध्वाrestrainingप्राणायामपरायणाःsolely absorbed in the restraint of breath
Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.
Swami Sivananda
4.29 अपाने in the outgoing breath? जुह्वति sacrifice? प्राणम् incoming breath? प्राणे in the incoming breath? अपानम् outgoing breath? तथा thus? अपरे others? प्राणापानगती courses of the outgoing and incoming breaths? रुद्ध्वा restraining? प्राणायामपरायणाः solely absorbed in the restraint of breath.Commentary Some Yogis practise Puraka (inhalation)? some Yogis practise Rechaka (exhalation)?,and some Yogis practise Kumbhaka (retention of breath).The five subPranas and the other Pranas are merged in the chief Prana (MukhyaPrana) by the practice of Pranayama. When the Prana is controlled? the mind also stops its wanderings and becomes steady the senses are also thinned out and merged in the Prana. It is through the vibration of Prana that the activities of the mind and the senses are kept up. If the Prana is controlled? the mind? the intellect and the senses cease to function.
Swami Chinmayananda
This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.
In this verse, a method of pranayama—breath regulation—is described as a useful practice for those seekers who wish to attain mastery over the self. The breath drawn inward is called prana, and the breath expelled outward is called apana. According to the science of yoga, our breathing process consists of three components: inhalation, exhalation, and retention. The drawing in of breath through inhalation is called puraka, and the expulsion of breath through exhalation is called rechaka. Between one inhalation and one exhalation, there is a pause. When the breath remains held either within or without, this is called kumbhaka. Ordinarily, our breathing is not regulated or controlled. Therefore, by practicing pranayama in the prescribed sequence of exhalation, inhalation, and retention—each with its proper measure—the vital life force can be brought under mastery, which proves beneficial for the control of the mind. In this verse, there is mention of rechaka, puraka, and kumbhaka in succession. One who practices pranayama, regarding it as a sacred offering, learns to offer the secondary vital forces into the primary prana itself.
It must be understood that prana does not merely mean air or breath, as is commonly supposed. In the Hindu scriptures, the term prana refers to the vital life force and the functions it performs within the living body. By studying the five pranas described in the scriptures, we come to know that they represent five types of vital functions that sustain the body. These five pranas are: prana, apana, vyana, samana, and udana—which respectively govern the reception of sensory impressions, the elimination of waste, the circulation of blood throughout the body, the digestion of food, and the faculty of thought and discrimination. Ordinarily, human beings remain unaware of these functions; yet through the practice of pranayama, all of these can be brought under conscious control. Thus, pranayama is indeed a valuable spiritual discipline.
In the next verse, the twelfth and final type of spiritual practice is described.