pingala

Pingala may refer to two distinct concepts in Indian tradition: a historical grammarian and prosodist, and a yogic energy channel known as a nadi.

Pingala the grammarian is traditionally dated to the classical period, with estimated years spanning from the 2nd century BCE to the 2nd century CE. He is traditionally credited with the Chandahśāstra, a foundational treatise on Sanskrit prosody. The work examines meter in poetic composition by classifying syllables as long (guru) or short (laghu) and developing methods to enumerate possible metres. Pingala’s metrical analysis represents an early instance of systematic combinatorial thinking in Indian literature and linguistics, and later scholars connected his methods to developments in mathematical thought and numeral systems.

Pingala Nadi refers to one of the principal nadis—or energy channels—in Indian yoga and tantra. In this framework, Pingala is the solar, or masculine, channel that runs up the right side of the spine, complementing the Ida (the lunar, left-side) and the central Sushumna nadi. The nadis are described as conduits for prana, the life force, and practices such as alternate nostril breathing (nadi shodhana) are said to balance Pingala and Ida to facilitate the flow through Sushumna. The concept appears in classical yoga and tantric literature as part of a broader physiology of subtle energy.

Together, Pingala denotes distinct ideas from linguistics and yoga, sharing a Sanskrit name but representing unrelated traditions within Indian intellectual history.