“The journey with and through the Bhagavad Gītā
is one of a Vinyāsa Krama with three distinct stages.
Firstly, the Pūrva Aṅga aspect of our journey in the ascension
from confusion to clarity, as epitomised in the first hexad.
Here we start from being disturbingly yoked to Viṣāda
as in the first Chapter, and through a chapter by chapter
process, we deepen our self-inquiry into the nature of who.
In other words, this hexad is an exploration of our relationship
with what we perceive and identify with as if our perennial self.
Through chapters two to five, we learn how to approach and
refine the practice of Dhyāna as in Chapter six, through which
clarity arises in our efforts to cultivate a sense of an inner guide.”
Paul Harvey on Gītārtha Saṃgraha of Śrī Yāmunācārya Śloka Two

“All models for meditation have a preliminary step, Pūrva Aṅga,
in which one does things which lead to a situation where Dhyāna may be possible.
Dhyāna, then, the ability to pursue and fix a question,
also requires Pūrva Aṅga, preparation.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1988

“Proper preparation can involve eliminating divisive forces and
making certain the person is ready for the work.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1988

“Not everyone needs Pūrva Aṅga.
Some extraordinary people, because of merits in the past,
do not need this preparation. Quite a few examples exist.
However, if we try to emulate them we are in trouble.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1988

“We must recognise the necessity of preparation,
the need to work so we can come to a level where we are able to fix the question.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1988

“Thus, the ability to fix the question is a requisite for Dhyāna.
One who cannot is not ready for meditation.”

“One need not fix the question first.
Instead, one must do the preliminary preparation.
If that is done properly, one does not have to decide: the question will come.
You just rise to the level where questioning is possible.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1988

“Sometimes, a question may arise when you are not ready.
How to reach the question requires preliminaries,
for there must be a freshness in your approach.
If the approach is habitual, the response will be wrong.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1988

“When we equip ourselves better,
we will know the right question.
Only then can we say,
‘It is MY question’.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1988

“Any model for Meditation presented in this Tradition will have:
1. Preliminaries.
2. Peak.
3. Descent.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1988

“The preliminaries are very important,
especially in isolating one object for meditation.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1988

“How ineffective one’s meditation will be if one thinks he or she can start at the peak.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1988

“In Meditation, one needs time for the preliminaries;
then the actual meditation may be short because the mind is ready.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1988

“From Pūrva Aṅga,
one goes into a state of Dhyāna,
and then must come out.
One must have the means to come out of that state.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1988

“The length of time for each step of the meditation model is variable.
However, the preparation is linked to the exact character and evolution of Dhyāna.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1988

“We start our practice where we are
and look toward a certain goal.
Then we choose the steps that will
lead us toward realising that goal
and will gradually bring us back
into our everyday life, but our
daily practice does not return us
to the exact place we started.
The practice has changed us.”
– TKV Desikachar

“One role for a staged descent
within a Prāṇāyāma practice,
in terms of ratio and length,
is to offer a receptive space to
reveal any side effects of effort.
Here it can be actually more
difficult to step down gradually
in stages rather than just stopping.
Thus a subtle mirror in the descent
can reveal any stress in the ascent.”
– 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers