Page Text
________________
Scientific research has been carried out to verify the existence of the nadis. Dr Hiroshi Motoyama pioneered this research and found stable voltages of electromagnetic currents flowing within close proximity to the nervous system, which he cited as evidence for the existence of nadis. The network of nadis is so subtle and vast that even the yogic texts differ in calculation of their exact number. References in the Goraksha Samhita and Hatha Yoga Pradipika place the number at 72,000; the Prapanchasara Tantra gives the number of 300,000; while the Shiva Samhita states that 350,000 nadis emerge from the navel centre.
Major nadis
Out of the thousands of nadis, which include all the major and minor flows, seventy-two are considered important. Out of these seventy-two, ten are considered to be major. Among the ten major pranic flows, three are most significant: ida, pingala and sushumna. These three major nadis are situated in the spinal column and pass through every chakra. Ida nadi is the mental channel, pingala nadi the vital channel and sushumna nadi the spiritual channel. Ida, pingala and sushumna are the three main channels for the distribution of energy throughout the entire pranic network. Maximum pranic charges flow through them and they impact the entire network instantly; they are the high voltage wires that conduct the energy from the substations or chakras situated along the spinal column to all the other nadis.
After ida, pingala and sushumna, the seven lesser major nadis include: gandhari, hastijihva, yashaswini, pusha, alambusha, kuhu and shankhini. Some texts mention 19 major nadis and include: jihva, koorma, payaswini, saraswati, saumya, shura, varuni, vilambha and vishwodari. For all practical purposes, however, one need only concentrate on ida, pingala and sushumna, as these three govern the whole system of the nadis and all the body processes. In pranayama and prana vidya the practitioner works chiefly with these three channels. These three paths are also known as ganga
37
| SR No. | 009371 |
| Book Title | Pran and Pranayam |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Niranjananand Saraswati Swami |
| Publisher | Yoga Publication Trust |
| Publication Year | 2009 |
| Total Pages | 369 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Classification | Book_Devnagari |
| File Size | 11 MB |