Just as the lion, elephant, and tiger are tamed gradually, so too the breath should be controlled gradually; otherwise it destroys the practitioner.

This verse contains one of the text’s most important warnings about prāṇāyāma. Svātmārāma compares prāṇa to powerful wild animals: the lion (siṃha), elephant (gaja), and tiger (vyāghra). These animals can be tamed, but only śanaiḥ śanaiḥ — “very gradually.”

The phrase anyathā hanti sādhakam is unequivocal: “otherwise it kills/destroys the practitioner.” Mishandled prāṇa doesn’t simply fail to work; it actively harms the yogi. This can manifest as physical, mental, or energetic imbalances.

Classical commentators enumerate the dangers of incorrect practice: cough, asthma, headache, pain in eyes and ears, and various nervous system imbalances. More subtly, it can cause mental agitation, anxiety, or even psychosis in extreme cases.

The practical implication is clear: prāṇāyāma must be developed patiently, increasing duration and intensity very gradually over months and years, not days or weeks. Haste is the enemy of real progress in this science.