हठयोग प्रदीपिका (योगी स्वात्माराम - ज्योत्स्ना टीका सहित सटीक)

8 HAṬHAYOGAPRADĪPIKĀ He should begin Prāṇāyāma only with the guidance of his Guru.’ The work called Rāja-yoga also states: ‘Kaivalya is not to be got by any amount of study of the Veda-s, Śāstra-s and Tantra-s, without the guidance of a Guru.’ In the Skanda-purāṇa it is said: ‘The eight stages of Yoga are to be learnt only from a competent Guru.’ And Sureśvarācārya declares that only through the Guru can the eightfold Yoga be learnt. The śruti says: ‘The Mahātman-s reveal those things only to him who has a deep devotion towards his Guru as well as to God. Only he who has an Ācārya or Guru knows.’ The various standard books on Yoga are, I think, meant not so much for beginners and students, as for Guru-s to use as guide-books to regulate their pupils’ training. In Haṭha-yoga, where a mistake may end in death or insanity, it is absolutely necessary to have a Guru, who has passed successfully through the course, who can see clearly through the system, and observe the effects of the various processes and modify them accordingly. 15. Yoga fails by the six [causes]—over-eating, over-exertion, excessive talk, the observance of [un- suitable] disciplines, promiscuous company and un- steadiness. The disciplines referred to are bathing in cold water early in the morning, eating only at night and fasting frequently. 16. Yoga succeeds by the six [qualifications]— zeal, bold determination, courage, true knowledge, firmness [of belief in the words of the Guru] and re- nunciation of the company of [unsuitable] people. [To do no harm, to speak the truth, to refrain from taking what belongs to another, to preserve continence, to practise forbearance, to have fortitude, to be merciful, to be straightforward, to be moderate in diet and to be pure—these ten constitute Yama.]