Śivasaṃhitā 3.110

The result of correct practice is immediate: tatkṣaṇāt, ‘in that very instant’. There is no delay between the correct execution of anuṣṭhāna and the harmonization of prāṇa. The text promises a direct and verifiable effect: prāṇa becomes sama, ‘equal’, ‘balanced’, ‘uniform’, ceasing its habitual agitation.

Anuṣṭhāna derives from the root sthā (‘to stand’, ‘to remain’) with prefixes anu- (‘following’, ‘in accordance with’) and nominal ā-, meaning ‘to carry out in accordance with instructions’ — that is, ritual or disciplined practice. Sama — ‘equal’, ‘uniform’ — is a crucial technical term in yoga: it designates the state of equilibrium between the currents of prāṇa and apāna, a prerequisite for the awakening of kuṇḍalinī.

The immediacy promised by tatkṣaṇāt has a parallel in modern neurophysiology: slow, controlled breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system within seconds, reducing heart rate variability and producing a measurable state of calm almost instantaneously. The ancient text and contemporary science describe the same phenomenon in different languages.