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are controlled, and sweet secretions begin to flow in the mouth. The control of krikara is especially helpful during fasting and samadhi.
Devadatta: This field causes sneezing and aids in respiration. It becomes activated by sharp or irritating smells and causes pain in the nostrils in more intense conditions. In its subtle state, devadatta enables the practitioner to experience divine smells.
Dhananjaya: This field pervades the whole body and is related to the organ of touch. It influences the work of the muscles, arteries and veins, and the skin. The swelling experienced during an injury is due to the motion of dhananjaya. During a tamasic state it reinforces sloth in the body. Dhananjaya is the last prana to leave the body after death and is responsible for decomposition of the body.
Pranayama and prana vidya Although the ten pranas (major and minor) are identified separately, they work in synchronicity to take every physical action to its rightful conclusion. For example, in the process of metabolizing food, prana helps to take the food down the oesophagus, samana facilitates its digestion, vyana circulates the nutrients, apana eliminates the waste material and udana carries the energy derived from the food for physical work.
The Prashnopanishad draws an analogy between the pancha pranas and yajna, likening apana, vyana and prana to the yajna fire, samana to the priest, mind to the host, and udana to the fruit of sacrifice. The pranic process is indeed equivalent to the yajna process: energy is fed, life is infused, and energy is emitted through the combined forces. Therefore, when all the pranas are balanced, the body and mind are in a state of optimized harmony. However, this is not usually the case. Due to overuse and misuse, the pranas of most people are in a state of imbalance.
In the course of daily life, worry and stress use maximum prana, so that the pranic fields become exhausted and discharged. This in turn causes fatigue, depression, and
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