Murchha

Murchha

मूर्छा, मूर्च्छा mūrchā, mūrcсhā

Murchchha or murchha is fainting, loss of consciousness, dazed, astonished. Murchchha is usually called an unconscious, fainting state, but in yoga in the context of pranayama, this word may have another meaning – fading of the mind or prana (stopping vibrations).

Murchha is one of the 8 main kumbhakas described in the texts of hatha-yoga.

With the practice of murchha-pranayama, non-dual perception is achieved, practitioner realizes the abandonment of all sense objects, fading of the mind and its merging or absorption into Atman.

Yogi Amritnath Ji in his work "Yogi Vilakshan Avadhut" gives the following description of this pranayama:

The murchha-kumbhaka pranayama should be performed in a secluded place. The practitioner should adopt a comfortable posture known as sukhasana. Then, with some effort, he must inhale air into both nostrils and hold it in the area below the vocal cords. Then it needs to be exhaled through the nostrils. This should be repeated several times. This improves control over all ten winds. Vices like lust and anger are eliminated. The body becomes healthy. The curved passage, sushumna, opens, and the doors are opened for the practitioner to manifest Brahman. Sage Amritnath testifies: whoever enters there never returns to the previous state.

In "Hatha-Yoga Pradipika", chapter 2, shloka 69, this type of pranayama is also mentioned:

pūrakānte gāḍhataraṃ baddhvā jālandharaṃ śanaiḥ ।
recayenmūrcchākhyeyaṃ mano-mūrcchā sukha-pradā ॥ 69 ॥

2.69. Murchha.
At the end of inhalation, do the jalandhara bandha, [then] exhale slowly. [This pranayama is called] "murchha" (fainting, fading), because it stops the mind and gives happiness.

“Gheranda Samhita”, chapter 5, shloka 83, it says:

atha mūrcchākumbhakaḥ |
sukhena kumbhakaṃ kṛtvā manaśca bhruvorantaram |
saṃtyajya viṣayānsarvānmanomūrcchā sukhapradā |
ātmani manaso yogādānando jāyate dhruvam || 83 ||

5.83. Here is murchha-kumbhaka.
Comfortably performing kumbhaka, [one should keep] the mind in the area between the brows, leaving all objects of the senses – [this is] manomurchha (fading of the mind), which gives joy. From the merging of mind (manas) and Atman, eternal bliss is born.