हठयोग प्रदीपिका (योगी स्वात्माराम - ज्योत्स्ना टीका सहित सटीक)

१७८ हठयोगप्रदीपिका न गन्धं न रसं रूपं न च स्पर्शं न निःस्वनम् । नात्मानं न परं वेत्ति योगी युक्तः समाधिना ॥ १०९ ॥ न गन्धमिति । समाधिना युक्तो योगी न गन्धं सुरभिमसुरभिं वा न रसं मधुराम्ललवणकटुकषायतिक्तभेदात् षड्विधं न रूपं शुक्लनीलपीतरक्तहरितकपि- शचित्रभेदात् सप्तविधं न स्पर्शं शीतमुष्णमनुष्णाशीतं वा न निःस्वनं शङ्खदुन्दुभिजलधिजीमूतादिनिनादं बाह्यमाभ्यन्तरं वा न आत्मानं देहं न परं पुरुषान्तरं वेत्तीति सर्वत्रान्वेति । 'आत्मा देहे धृतौ जीवे स्वभावे परमात्मनि ' इति वैजयन्ती (p. 214, V. 6) ॥ १०९ ॥ चित्तं न सुप्तं नोजाग्रत्स्मृतिविस्मृतिवर्जितम् । न चास्तमेति नोदेति यस्यासौ मुक्त एव सः ॥ ११० ॥ चित्तमिति । यस्य योगिनश्चित्तमन्तःकरणं न सुप्तम् । आवरकस्य तमसोऽभावात् त्रिगुणेऽन्तःकरणे यदा सत्त्वरजसी अभिभूय समस्तकरणावरकं तम आविर्भवति तदान्तःकरणस्य विषयाकारपरिणामाभावात् तत्सुप्तमित्युच्यते । नो जाग्रद् इन्द्रियैरर्थग्रहणाभावात् । स्मृतिश्च विस्मृतिश्च स्मृतिविस्मृती ताभ्यां वर्जितम् । वृत्तिसामान्याभावादुद्बोधकाभावाच्च स्मृतिवर्जितम् । स्मृत्यनुकूल- संस्काराभावाद्वाद्धिस्मृतिवर्जितम् । न चास्तं नाशमेति प्राप्नोति । संस्कारशेषस्य चित्तस्य सत्त्वात् । नोदेत्युद्भवति । वृत्त्यनुत्पादनात् सोऽसौ मुक्त एव जीवन्मुक्त एव ॥ ११० ॥ न विजानाति शीतोष्णं न दुःखं न सुखं तथा । न मानं नापमानं च योगी युक्तः समाधिना ॥ १११ ॥ न विजानातीति । समाधिना युक्तो योगी शीतं च उष्णं च शीतोष्णम् । समाहारद्वन्द्वः । शीतमुष्णं वा पदार्थं न, दुःखं दुःखजनकं परकृतं

हठयोगप्रदीपिका १७९ ताडनादिकं न, सुखं सुखसाधनं सुरभिचन्दनाद्यनुलेपनादिकं न । तथा चार्थे। मानं परकृतं सत्कारं न अपमानमनादरं च न, विजानातीति क्रियापदं प्रतिवाक्यमन्वेति ॥ १११ ॥ स्वस्थो जाग्रदवस्थायां सुप्तवद्योऽवतिष्ठते । निःश्वासोच्छ्वासहीनश्च निश्चितं मुक्त एव सः ॥ ११२ ॥ स्वस्थ इति । स्वस्थः प्रसन्नेन्द्रियान्तःकरणः । एतेन तन्द्रामूर्च्छादि- व्यावृत्तिः । जाग्रदवस्थायामित्यनेन स्वप्नसुषुप्त्योर्निवृत्तिः । सुप्तवत् सुप्तेन तुल्यं कायेन्द्रियव्यापारशून्यो यो योगी अवतिष्ठते स्थितो भवति । ‘समवप्रविभ्य स्थः (Pāṇ., 1. 3. 22) इत्यात्मनेपदम् । निश्वासोच्छ्वासहीनः बाह्यवायोः कोष्ठे ग्रहणं निश्वासः कोष्ठस्थितस्य वायोर्बहिर्निःसारणमुच्छ्वासस्ताभ्यां हीनश्चावतिष्ठत इत्यत्रापि संबध्यते । स निश्चितं निःसंदिग्धं मुक्त एव जीवन्मुक्त एव तत्स्वरूपमुक्तं दत्तात्रेयेण (Yogatat. Up., 105-6)— ‘निर्गुणध्यानसंपन्नः समाधिं च ततोऽभ्यसेत् । दिनद्वादशकेनैव समाधिं समवाप्नुयात् । वायुं निरुध्य मेधावी जीवन्मुक्तो भवेद् ध्रुवम् ॥’ इति ॥ ११२ ॥ अवध्यः सर्वशस्त्राणामशक्यः सर्वदेहिनाम् । अग्राद्यो मन्त्रयन्त्राणां योगी युक्तः समाधिना ॥ ११३ ॥ अवध्य इति । समाधिना युक्तो योगी । सर्वशस्त्राणामिति संबन्ध- सामान्ये षष्ठी । सर्वशस्त्रैरित्यर्थः । अवध्यो हन्तुमशक्य इत्यर्थः । सर्वदेहिनामि- त्यत्रापि संबन्धमात्रविवक्षायां षष्ठी । अशक्यः सर्वदेहिभिः बलेन शक्यो न भवतीत्यर्थः । मन्त्रयन्त्राणां वशीकरणमारणोच्चाटनादिफलैर्मन्त्रयन्त्रैरग्राह्यः

१८० हठयोगप्रदीपिका वशीकर्तुमशक्यः। एवं प्राप्तयोगस्य योगिनो विघ्ना बहवः समायान्ति। तन्निवारणार्थं तज्ज्ञानस्यापेक्षितत्वात् तेऽपि प्रदर्श्यन्ते। दत्तात्रेयः— ‘आलस्यं प्रथमो विघ्नो द्वितीयस्तु प्रकथ्यते। पूर्वोक्तधूर्तगोष्ठी च तृतीयो मन्त्रसाधनम्। चतुर्थो धातुवादः स्यादिति योगविदो विदुः॥’ इति। मार्कण्डेयपुराणे (40. 1-6)— ‘उपसर्गाः प्रवर्तन्ते दृष्टा ह्यात्मनि योगिनः। ये तांस्ते संप्रवक्ष्यामि समासेन निबोध मे॥ काम्याः क्रियास्तथा कामान् मनुष्यो योऽभिवाञ्छति। स्त्रियो दानफलं विद्यां मायां कुप्यं धनं वसु॥ देवत्वममरेशत्वं रसायनचयःक्रियाः। मरुप्रपतनं यज्ञं जलाग्न्यावेशनं तथा॥ श्राद्धानां सर्वदानानां फलानि नियमांस्तथा। तथोपवासात् पूर्तञ्च देवताभ्यर्चनादपि॥ तेभ्यस्तेभ्यश्च कर्मभ्य उपसृष्टोऽभिवाञ्छति। चित्तमित्थं वर्तमानं यत्नाद् योगी निवर्तयेत्। ब्रह्मसङ्गि मनः कुर्वन्नुपसर्गात् प्रमुच्यते॥’ इति। स्कन्दपुराणे— ‘यदैभिरन्तरायैर्न क्षिप्यतेऽस्य हि मानसम्। तदाग्रे तमवाप्नोति परं ब्रह्मातिदुर्लभम्॥’ योगभास्करे— ‘सात्विकीं धृतिमालम्ब्य योगी सत्वेन सुस्थिरः। निर्गुणं मनसा ध्यायन्नुपसर्गैः प्रमुच्यते॥

हठयोगप्रदीपिका १८१ एवं योगमुपासीनः शक्रादिपदनिस्पृहः । सिद्ध्यादिवासनात्यागी जीवन्मुक्तो भवेन्मुनिः ॥' इति । 'विस्तरस्य भिया नोक्ताः सन्ति विघ्ना ह्यनेकशः । ध्यानेन विष्णुहरयोर्वारणीया हि योगिना ॥' इति ॥ ११३ ॥ यावन्नैव प्रविशति चरन्मारुतो मध्यमार्गे यावद् बिन्दुर्न भवति दृढः प्राणवातप्रबन्धात् । यावद् ध्याने सहजसदृशं जायते नैव तत्त्वं तावज्ज्ञानं वदति तदिदं दम्भमिथ्याप्रलापः ॥ ११४ ॥ इति श्रीसहजानन्दसंतानचिन्तामणिस्वात्मारामयोगीन्द्रविरचितायां हठयोगप्रदीपिकायां समाधिलक्षणं नाम चतुर्थोपदेशः अयोगिनां ज्ञानं निराकुर्वन् योगिनामेव ज्ञानं भवतीत्याह- यावदिति । मध्यमार्गे सुषुम्नायां चरन् गच्छन् मारुतः प्राणवायुः यावत् यावत्कालपर्यन्तं न प्रविशति प्रकर्षेण ब्रह्मरन्ध्रपर्यन्तं न विशति । ब्रह्मरन्ध्रे गतस्य स्थैर्याद् ब्रह्मरन्ध्रं गत्वा न स्थिरो भवतीत्यर्थः । सुषुम्नायामसंचरन् वायुरसिद्ध इत्युच्यते । तदुक्तममृतसिद्धौ- 'यावद्वि मार्गगो वायुर्निश्चलो नैव मध्यगः । असिद्धं तं विजानीयाद् वायुं कर्मवशानुगम् ॥' इति । प्राणयति जीवयतीति प्राणः स चासौ वातश्च प्राणवातः तस्य प्रबन्धात् कुम्भकेन स्थिरीकरणाद्विन्दुर्वीर्यं दृढः स्थिरो न भवति प्राणवातस्थैर्ये बिन्दुस्थैर्य- मुक्तमत्रैव प्राक् । 'मनःस्थैर्ये स्थिरो वायुस्ततो बिन्दुः स्थिरो भवेत् ।' (IV. 28) इति । तदभावे त्वसिद्धत्वं योगिनः । उक्तममृतसिद्धौ-

१८२ हठयोगप्रदीपिका 'तावद् बद्धोऽप्यसिद्धोऽसौ नरः सांसारिको मतः । यावद् भवति देहस्थो रसेन्द्रो ब्रह्मरूपकः ॥ असिद्धं तं विजानीयान्नरमब्रह्मचारिणम् । जरामरणसंकीर्णं सर्वक्लेशसमाश्रयम् ॥' इति । यावत् तत्त्वं चित्तं ध्याने ध्येयचिन्तने सहजसदृशं स्वाभाविकध्येयाका- रवृत्तिप्रवाहवन्नैव जायते नैव भवति, प्राणवातप्रबन्धादिति देहलीदीपन्यायेनात्रापि संबध्यते । वायुस्थैर्ये चित्तस्थैर्यमुक्तममृतसिद्धौ— 'यदासौ श्रियते वायुर्मध्यमां मध्ययोगतः । तदा बिन्दुश्च चित्तं च म्रियते वायुना सह ॥' तदभावेऽह्यसिद्धत्वमुक्तममृतसिद्धौ— 'यावत् प्रस्यन्दते चित्तं बाह्याभ्यन्तरवस्तुषु । असिद्धं तद्विजानीयाच्चित्तं कर्मगुणान्वितम् ॥' इति । तावद्यज्ज्ञानं शाब्दं वदति कश्चित् तदिदं ज्ञानकथनं दम्भमिथ्याप्रलापः दम्भेन ज्ञानकथनेनाहं लोके पूज्यो भविष्यामीति धिया मिथ्याप्रलापो मिथ्या- भाषणं दम्भपूर्वकं मिथ्याभाषणमित्यर्थः । प्राणबिन्दुचित्तानां जयाभावे ज्ञानस्या- भावात् संसृतिर्दुर्धारा । तदुक्तममृतसिद्धौ— 'चलत्येष यदा वायुस्तदा बिन्दुश्चलः स्मृतः । बिन्दुश्चलति यस्याङ्गे चित्तं तस्यैव चञ्चलम् ॥ चले बिन्दौ चले चित्ते चले वायौ च सर्वदा । जायते म्रियते लोकः सत्यं सत्यमिदं वचः ॥'

इति। योगबीजेऽप्युक्तम्— 'चित्तं प्रनष्टं यदि भासते वै तत्र प्रतीतो मरुतोऽपि नाशः । न वा यदि स्यान्न तु तस्य शास्त्रं नात्मप्रतीतिर्न गुरुर्न मोक्षः ॥' इति। एतेन प्राणबिन्दुमनसां जये तु ज्ञानद्वारा योगिनो मुक्तिः स्यादेवेति सूचितम् । तदुक्तममृतसिद्धौ । 'यामवस्थां व्रजेद् वायुर्बिन्दुस्तामधिगच्छति । यथा हि साध्यते वायुस्तथा बिन्दुप्रसाधनम् ॥ मूर्च्छितो हरति व्याधिं वृद्धः खेचरतां नयेत् । सर्वसिद्धिकरो लीनो निश्चलो मुक्तिदायकः । यथावस्था भवेद् बिन्दोश्चित्तावस्था तथा तथा ॥' इति । ननु— 'योगास्त्रयो मया प्रोक्ता नृणां श्रेयोविधित्सया । ज्ञानं कर्म च भक्तिश्च नोपायोऽन्योऽस्ति कुत्रचित् ॥' (Bhāg., XI. 20. 6) इति भगवदुक्तास्त्रयो मोक्षोपायास्तेषु सत्सु कथं योग एव मोक्षोपायत्वेनोक्त इति चेन्न; तेषां योगाङ्गेष्वन्तर्भावात् । तथाहि—'आत्मा वा अरे द्रष्टव्यः श्रोतव्यो मन्तव्यो निदिध्यासितव्यः' (Bṛh., II. 4. 5) इति श्रुत्या परम- पुरुषार्थसाधनात्मसाक्षात्कारहेतुतया श्रवणमनननिदिध्यासनान्युक्तानि । तत्र श्रवणमनने नियमान्तर्गते स्वाध्यायेऽन्तर्भवतः । स्वाध्यायश्च मोक्षशास्त्राणा- मध्ययनम् । स च तात्पर्यार्थनिर्णयपर्यवसायी ग्राह्यः । तात्पर्यार्थनिर्णयश्च श्रवणमननाभ्यां भवतीति श्रवणमननयोः स्वाध्यायेऽन्तर्भावः । नियमविवरणे

१८४ हठयोगप्रदीपिका याज्ञवल्क्येन—‘सिद्धान्तश्रवणं प्रोक्तं वेदान्तश्रवणं बुधैः’ (II. 8) इति स्पष्टमेव श्रवणस्य नियमान्तर्गतिरुक्ता । ‘अधीत्य वेदं सूत्रं वा पुराणं सेतिहासकम् । पदेष्वध्ययनं यच्च सदाभ्यासो जपः स्मृतः ॥’ (Yy., II. 13) इति युक्तिभिरनवरतमनुचिन्तनलक्षणस्य सदाभ्यासरूपस्य मननस्यापि निय- मान्तर्गतिरुक्ता । विजातीयप्रत्ययनिरोधपूर्वकसजातीयप्रत्ययप्रवाहरूपस्य निदि- ध्यासनस्य उक्तलक्षणे ध्यानेऽन्तर्भावः । तस्यापि तत्परिपाकरूपसमाधिनात्म- साक्षात्कारद्वारा मोक्षहेतुत्वमीश्वरार्पणबुद्ध्या निष्कामकर्मानुष्ठानलक्षणस्य कर्म- योगस्य ‘तपः स्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि क्रियायोगः’ (II. 1) इति पतञ्जलि- प्रोक्ते नियमान्तर्गते क्रियायोगेऽन्तर्भावः । तत्र तप उक्तमीश्वरगीतायाम्— ‘उपवासपराकादिकृच्छ्रचान्द्रायणादिभिः । शरीरशोषणं प्राहुस्तापसास्तप उत्तमम् ॥’ इति । स्वाध्यायोऽपि तत्रोक्तः । ‘वेदान्तशतरुद्रीयप्रणवादिजपं बुधाः । सत्त्वशुद्धिकरं पुंसां स्वाध्यायं परिचक्षते ॥’ इति । ईश्वरप्रणिधानं च तत्रोक्तम्— ‘स्तुतिस्मरणपूजाभिर्वाङ्मनःकायकर्मभिः । सुनिश्चला भवेद्भक्तिरेतदीश्वरपूजनम् ॥’ इति । क्रियायोगश्च परंपरया समाधिनात्मसाक्षात्कारद्वारैव मोक्षहेतुरिति समाधि- भावनार्थः । ‘क्लेशतनूकरणार्थश्च’ (II. 1) इत्युत्तरसूत्रेण स्पष्टीकृतं

हठयोगप्रदीपिका १८५ पतञ्जलिना । भज्यते सेव्यते भगवदाकारमन्तःकरणं क्रियतेऽनयेति भक्ति- रिति करणव्युत्पत्त्या ‘श्रवणं कीर्तनं विष्णोः स्मरणं पादसेवनम् । अर्चनं वन्दनं दास्यं सख्यमात्मनिवेदनम् ॥’ (Bhāg., VII. 5. 23) इति नवधोक्ता साधनभक्तिरभिधीयते । तस्या ईश्वरप्रणिधानरूपे नियमे- ऽन्तर्भावः । तस्याश्च समाधिहेतुत्वं चोक्तं पतञ्जलिना । ‘ईश्वरप्रणिधानाद्वा’ (1. 23) इति । ईश्वरविषयकात् प्रणिधानाद् भक्तिविशेषात् समाधिलाभः समाधिफलं भवतीति सूत्रार्थः । भजनमन्तःकरणस्य भगवदाकारतारूपं भक्तिरिति भावव्युत्पत्त्या फलभूता भक्तिरभिधीयते । सैव प्रेमभक्तिरित्युच्यते । तल्लक्षणमुक्तं नारायणतीर्थैः—‘प्रेमभक्तियोगस्तु ईश्वरचरणारविन्दविषयकैकान्तिकात्यन्तिक- प्रेमप्रवाहोऽविच्छिन्नः’ इति । मधुसूदनसरस्वतीभिस्तु (Bh. Ra., p. 11) ‘द्रवीभावपूर्विका मनसो भगवदाकारतारूपा सविकल्पकवृत्तिर्भक्तिः’ इति । तस्यास्तु ‘श्रद्धाभक्तिध्यानयोगादवेहि’ (Kai. Up., 2) इति श्रुतेः । ‘भक्त्या मामभिजानाति’ (BG., XVIII. 55) इति स्मृतेश्च । आत्मसाक्षात्कारद्वारा मोक्षहेतुत्वम् । भक्तास्तु सुखस्यैव पुरुषार्थत्वाद् दुःखासंभिन्ननिरतिशयसुखधारा- रूपा प्रेमभक्तिरेव पुरुषार्थ इत्याहुः । तस्यास्तु संप्रज्ञातसमाधावन्तर्भावः । एवं च अष्टाङ्गयोगातिरिक्तं किमपि परमपुरुषार्थसाधनं नास्तीति सिद्धम् ॥ ११४ ॥ ‘ग्राह्यमेव विदुषां हितं यतो भाषणं मम यदप्यसंस्कृतम् । रक्ष गच्छति पयो ऽनलाहितं ह्यम्ब इत्यभिहितं शिशोर्यथा ॥’ १ ॥ ‘सदर्थद्योतनकरी तमस्तोमविनाशिनी । ब्रह्मानन्देन ज्योत्स्नेयं शिवाङ्घ्रियुगलेऽर्पिता ॥’ २ ॥ इति श्रीहठयोगप्रदीपिकाव्याख्यायां ब्रह्मानन्दकृतायां ज्योत्स्नाभिधायां समाधिनिरूपणं नाम चतुर्थोपदेशः

HAṬHAYOGAPRADĪPIKĀ ENGLISH TRANSLATION *1

HAṬHAYOGAPRADĪPIKĀ FIRST CHAPTER

1. I SALUTE the primeval Lord [Śiva], who taught [Pārvatī] the Haṭhayoga-vidyā, which is as a stairway for those who wish to attain the lofty Rāja- yoga. Commentary Nearly every work on Yoga and the Tantra-s is in the form of an exposition by Śiva, the great Yogin, to his consort Pārvatī. The word haṭha is composed of the syllables ha and tha, meaning the Sun and the Moon, i.e. Prāṇa and Apāna. Their yoga or union, i.e. Prāṇāyāma, is called Haṭha-yoga. In this stanza and through- out the work, it is stated that Haṭha-yoga is only a means to Rāja-yoga. 'There can be no Rāja-yoga without Haṭha-yoga and vice versa' (II. 76 below).
2. Svātmārāma Yogin, having saluted his Lord and Guru, teaches the Haṭha-vidyā solely for the attain- ment of Rāja-yoga. By using the word 'solely' it is made plain that the object of practising Haṭha-yoga is to prepare for Rāja-yoga, and not to obtain the siddhi-s (psychical powers). These powers are only incidental and secondary. The course of Haṭha-yoga is meant to give complete control over the bodily organs and the mind, so that the Yogin might keep good health and not be troubled during the ensuing course of Rāja-yoga, which will lead him to Kaivalya or final emancipation.

4 HAṬHAYOGAPRADĪPIKĀ 3. To those who wander in the darkness of conflicting doctrines, being ignorant of Rāja-yoga, the most compassionate Svātmārāma Yogin offers the light of Haṭha-vidyā. Here the author says that it is impossible to obtain Rāja- vidyā by any other means than the Haṭha-vidyā, that is through Mantra-yoga, Laya-yoga, contemplation on the images of the various deities, etc. The name of the author, Svātmārāma Yogin, is very suggestive. It means one who delights in communion with his higher Self. This represents the last of the seven stages of knowledge (jñāna): ‘The Brahmavariṣṭha is one who sports and delights in his higher Self.’ The seven stages are thus des- cribed in the Yoga-vāsiṣṭha, one of the most authoritative works on Yoga: One who has rightly distinguished between the per- manent and the impermanent; who has cultivated a feeling of dislike towards worldly pleasures; who, having acquired full mastery over his organs, physical and mental, feels a deep yearning to free himself from this cycle of existence, has attained the first stage: śubhecchā, or a longing for the Truth. He who has pondered over what he has read and heard and has realized it in his life has attained the second stage: vicāraṇā or Right Inquiry. When the mind, having abandoned the many, remains steadily fixed on the One, he has attained the third stage: tanumānasā or the attenuation of mental activities. Till now he is a sādhaka or practitioner. Having reduced his mind by the three previous stages to a state of pure sattva, when he cognizes directly in himself the truth, ‘I am Brahman’, he is on the fourth stage: sattvāpatti or attainment of the state of sattva. Here the Yogin is called knower of Brahman (brahmavid). Till now he was practising Samprajñāta Samādhi, or contemplation in which consciousness of duality still lingers. The three remaining stages form the Asamprajñāta Samādhi, i.e. having no consciousness of the triad: knower, knowledge and the known. When the Yogin is unaffected by the siddhi-s that manifest themselves at this stage, he attains the stage called asaṁsakti (being unaffected by anything). The

HAṬHAYOGAPRADĪPIKĀ 5 Yogin is now called brahmavidvara. Till now he goes about per- forming all the necessary duties of his own will. When he sees nothing but Brahman everywhere, that stage is called parārthā- bhāvinī, i.e. where the external things do not appear to exist. Here the Yogin performs his functions prompted by another. He is called brahmavariṣṭha when he has attained the seventh and last stage during which he neither performs his daily duties on his own or prompted by others, but remains in a state of perpetual Samādhi. The author of this work is said to have attained this stage as his name Svātmārāma shows. 4. Matsyendra, Gorakṣa and others knew well the Haṭha-vidyā. The Yogin Svātmārāma learnt it by their favour. 5-9. Śiva, Matsyendra, Śābara, Ānandabhairava, Cauraṅgī, Mīna, Gorakṣa, Virūpākṣa, Bileśaya, Man- thāna, Bhairava, Siddhi, Buddha, Kanthaḍi, Koraṇṭa- ka, Surānanda, Siddhapāda, Carpaṭi, Kāneri, Pūjya- pāda, Nityanātha, Nirañjana, Kapālin, Bindunātha, Kākacaṇḍīśvara, Allāma, Prabhudeva, Ghoḍācolin, Tiṇṭiṇi, Bhānukin, Nāradeva, Khaṇḍa, Kāpālika and many other great Siddha-s, having conquered time by the power of Haṭha-yoga move about the universe. 10. The Haṭha-yoga is a sheltering monastery for those scorched by all the [three] types of pain (tāpa). To those engaged in the practice of every kind of Yoga, Haṭha-yoga is like the tortoise that supports [the world]. The three types of pain are ādhyātmika, ādhidaivika and ādhi- bhautika. Ādhyātmika is of two kinds: bodily and mental; the ādhidaivika are those sufferings caused by planetary influences;

6 HAṬHAYOGAPRADĪPIKĀ and the ādhibhautika, those caused by creatures like tigers, serpents, etc. 11. The Yogin desirous of obtaining siddhi should keep the Haṭha-yoga very secret. For it is potent when kept secret and ineffective when [injudiciously] revealed. In this book, the author describes these processes in detail, but still he says that the Yogin should keep them secret. So it is plain that everything is not revealed and the most important processes are to be learnt direct from the Guru. It follows that he who begins to practise Haṭha-yoga after a theoretical study of it and without a Guru will come to harm. The adhikārin or candidate should have the following qualifications: He should perform his duties, and be free of personal motives and attach- ments. He should have perfected himself in Yama and Niyama, to be described later, and cultivated the intellect. He should have conquered anger. He should be entirely devoted to his Guru and the Brahmavidyā. No wonder that the Masters refuse to admit all candidates indiscriminately and say that an adept is the rare efflorescence of an age. Siddhi refers either to the eight siddhi-s or psychical powers, or to Kaivalya or Nirvāṇa, which is the attainment of spiritual perfection. The eight siddhi-s are: aṇiman, the power to assume a minute form; mahiman, the power to assume an extensive form; gariman, the power to become weighty; laghiman, the power to become light; prāpti, the power to reach the proximity of even distant objects; prākāmya, the power to obtain what is desired; īśitā, the power to shape anything as desired; and vaśitva, the power to control anything. 12. He who practises Haṭha-yoga should live alone in a small maṭha (monastery) situated in a place free from rocks, water and fire to the extent of a bow's

HAṬHAYOGAPRADĪPIKĀ 7 length and in a virtuous, well-ruled kingdom, which is prosperous and free of disturbances. 'Free from rocks, water and fire'—These are considerations not to be passed over lightly by anyone who wishes to pursue the arduous course of Yoga. By 'water' is meant here dampness or wetness. 13. The maṭha should have a small door, and should be without any windows; it should be level and without any holes; it should be neither too high, too low, nor too long. It should be very clean, being well smeared with cowdung and free from all insects. Outside, it should be attractive with a small hall (maṇḍapa), a raised seat and a well, and surrounded by a wall. These are the characteristics of a yoga-maṭha as laid down by the Siddha-s who have practised Haṭha-yoga. If it is very high there will be great difficulty in getting up; and if very long the eye will wander far. Nandikeśvara adds to this, 'The monastery should be surrounded by flower gardens and groves so that the eye of the Yogin resting upon them might become calm. On the walls of his room should be drawn pictures of the cycles of existence and the attendant miseries. There should be depicted a burning ground and the naraka-s, i.e. the hells or places of purification after death, so that the mind of the Yogin will conceive a dislike and distaste for worldly life.' 14. Living in such a monastery [the Yogin], being free in mind of all cares, should practise only Yoga all the time, in the way taught by his Guru. The necessity of having a Guru by one's side when practising Yoga is here strongly dwelt upon. The Yogabīja says: 'He who wants to practise Yoga should have a competent Guru with him.

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.]

HAṬHAYOGAPRADĪPIKĀ 9 All these aspects of Yama refer to deed, word and thought. [Austerity (tapas), contentment, belief in God, charity, worship of God, listening to the exposition of [Vedāntic] doctrines, modesty, a discerning mind, japa (repeating prayers) and sacrifice (huta)—these ten constitute Niyama, the experts in Yoga say.] These are clearly explained in the Śāṇḍilya-upaniṣad thus: Tapas is the austerity of the body by the observance of fasts, etc. Saṃtoṣa means contentment with what one obtains unasked. Āstikya means a faith in the teaching of the Veda. Dāna means giving with devotion what one has lawfully acquired. On this point the Bhagavad-gītā says (XVII. 20): Sāttvikadāna or charity consists in giving gifts to a worthy person who does nothing in return, in a proper place and time, simply as a matter of duty. Īśvarapūjā means worshipping with a calm and clear mind Viṣṇu or Rudra. Siddhāntaśravaṇa means the study of Vedānta. Modesty means a repugnance to doing a thing prohibited by the Veda-s and Śāstra-s. Discerning mind (mati) means devotion to the courses laid down in the Veda-s. Japa is practising the mantra-s that are not prohibited by the Veda-s, as taught by the Guru. It is of two sorts: audible and internal. Internal japa is repeating the mantra-s mentally. The course of development here laid down would seem to everyone the most natural and at the same time the most effectual. The attainment of Yama and Niyama comprises all the active and the passive virtues. The four sādhana-s, or the necessary qualifications of a śiṣya or disciple, namely discrimination between the permanent and the impermanent; perfect indifference to the objects of desire from the lowest forms of earthly life to that of the Demiurgos; the attainment of the sixfold qualities; and the intense desire for and incessant striving after liberation—all these are included in the first two stages of Yoga. By these means the mind is naturally weaned away from any attachment to worldly objects, and conse- quently is in a fair way to succeed in concentration. The Āsana-s and Prāṇāyāma come at the right time and remove any disturbing

10 HAṬHAYOGAPRADĪPIKĀ element arising from the body and its proclivities. The way to the higher path is now smooth and easy. But the ground is hard to tread and very few have the courage to go through it or the patience to persevere under repeated failures; so that nearly ninety-nine out of a hundred practitioners are frightened by the outlook and begin at the easiest and most practical point, i.e., Āsana and Prāṇāyāma. They imagine that the great and stupen- dous results laid down will follow the easiest physical processes in an inconceivably short time and take to them with avidity for some months. But not finding even a shadow of the glorious powers prophesied, they give up the whole effort. These escape lightly. But many commit serious mistakes in the processes and end their lives as maniacs or suicides. These do not realize the important fact that the tremendous powers are promised as a result of a course of Prāṇāyāma, only when it is practised by one who has perfected in himself the moral and the spiritual qualities included under Yama and Niyama. This point is beautifully brought out in the Yoga-vāsiṣṭha in the following story: A saṃnyāsin retired into the jungle and practised Prāṇāyāma for many years, but without realizing any of the powers foretold. He then went to a sage and reverently asked him to teach him Yoga. The sage told him to remain with him, and for the first two years met all his pupil's eager solicitations for instructions with ‘Wait’. Gradually, the saṃnyāsin grew accustomed to the situation and forgot to trouble his master any more for instruction. At the end of twelve years, the ṛṣi one day called to him his pupil and asked him to pronounce the syllable Om. When the saṃnyāsin came to the first letter, Recaka, or the process by which the air in the lungs is exhaled, set in naturally. When he finished the second letter, Pūraka, or the process of inhalation, set in. At the end of the third letter, Kumbhaka, or the process of retention, started. As a spark of fire catches in a field of sun-dried grass and the whole is in flame in a few minutes, so the pronunciation of the sacred syllable roused into activity the spiritual faculties that lay dormant hitherto in the pupil, and in a short time he had passed the initial stages of Pratyāhāra, Dhāraṇā and Dhyāna, and settled into the pure and elevated state of Samādhi.

HAṬHAYOGAPRADĪPIKĀ 11 Our interest in the story lies in the fact that the sage patiently waited for the natural unfoldment of the pupil's spiritual tendencies and the purifying of his nature through his association and surround- ings. He chose the right time and seeing into the nature of the pupil as into a glass, brought about in a simple way results psychical and spiritual, that persons, unacquainted with the rationale of Yoga and without the guidance of a Master, labour years to obtain. If these were understood and their importance fully realized, there would be fewer victims and failures. 17. Āsana-s are treated of in the first place as they form the first stage of Haṭha-yoga. Āsana-s make one firm, free from maladies and light of limb. Āsana is said to make one firm because it kills out the Rajo- guṇa that causes fickleness of the mind. By removing diseases it facilitates concentration; for Patañjali says: 'Disease, dullness, doubt, inattention, sloth, worldly-mindedness, false notions, missing the essential and instability are the causes of the distraction of the mind and they are the obstacles.' Heaviness of body arises from a preponderance of Tamas, and Āsana-s remove this. Though it is impossible to explain clearly and realize the important truths that underlie the various Āsana-s, till the human system is under- stood in all its intricacy and detail, still it can be said that the various postures bring about many important results, physical and otherwise. For example, during some of them, various nerve centres are activized; these effectively help to control the irregu- larities in the body and what is more wonderful, but not less true, is the purification of our mental nature, i.e. the suppression of some of our animal passions. Several diseases brought on by an excess of or irregularity in the humours of the body—wind, bile and phlegm—are removed by the Āsana-s. Physiologists will find here a vast field for their researches. 18. I proceed to describe some of the Āsana-s accepted by such sages as Vasiṣṭha and Yogin-s such as Matsyendra.

12 HAṬHAYOGAPRADĪPIKĀ Vasiṣṭha and Matsyendra were both Dhyānin-s and Yogin-s. But the former leaned more to Dhyāna and the latter to Yoga. 19. Having correctly placed both soles of the feet between the thighs and the knees, one should sit balanced and straight-bodied. This is called Svasti- kāsana. 20. Place the right ankle next to the left buttock and the left [ankle] next to the right [buttock]. This is Gomukhāsana, and resembles the face of a cow. 21. Place one [the right] foot firmly on the other [left] thigh and the [right] thigh on the other [left] foot. This is called Vīrāsana. 22. Press the anus firmly with the ankles in opposite directions and sit well poised. This is Kūrmā- sana according to the Yogin-s. 23. Assuming the Padmāsana, insert the hands between the thighs and the knees; planting them firmly on the ground, rise in the air [supported by the hands]. This is Kukkuṭāsana. 24. Assuming the Kukkuṭāsana posture (bandha), wind the arms around the neck and lie on the back like a tortoise. This is called Uttāna Kūrmāsana. 25. Taking hold of the toes with the hands [keep one arm stretched in front and] draw [the other] up to the ear as if drawing a bow. This is called Dhanurāsana. 26. Place the right foot at the base of the left thigh, and the left foot outside the right knee. Take hold [of the right foot by the left hand and the left

HAṬHAYOGAPRADĪPIKĀ 13 foot by the right hand] and remain with the body turned around [to the left]. This is the Āsana described by Matsyendra. 27. This MATSYENDRĀSANA, [which increases appetite by] fanning the gastric fire, is a weapon which destroys all the terrible diseases of the body; with [daily] practice it arouses the Kuṇḍalinī and makes the Moon steady in men. Above the root of the palate, the Moon is said to be located, ever dropping cool, ambrosial nectar that is wasted by mixing with the gastric fire. But this Āsana prevents it. There is a curious story told of Matsyendra, who is said to be the pupil of Ādinātha or Śiva. Once, Śiva went to a lonely island and, finding it uninhabited, taught his wife Pārvatī, the mysteries of Yoga. A fish that happened to approach the shore heard every- thing and remained motionless, with its mind concentrated. Ādinātha perceived that the fish had learnt the Yoga and, being extremely merciful, sprinkled water upon him. Immediately, he became a Siddha possessing a divine body and was called Matsyendra. This is deeply symbolical and suggestive. Compare the story of the Matsya Avatāra and the fish to whose horn the Hindu ark of Vaivasvata was tied during the flood. For some valuable hints towards the elucidation of this, see the article by Madame Blavatsky on ‘Lamas and Druses’ in The Theosophist, June 1881, p. 196 footnote. 28. Stretch out both the legs on the ground without bending them, and having taken hold of the toes of the feet with the hands, place the forehead upon the knees and rest thus. This is PAŚCIMATĀNĀSANA. 29. This most excellent of all Āsana-s, Paścima- tāna, makes the breath flow through the Suṣumnā,