हठयोग प्रदीपिका (योगी स्वात्माराम - ज्योत्स्ना टीका सहित सटीक)

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,

14 HAṬHAYOGAPRADĪPIKĀ stimulates the gastric fire, makes the loins lean and removes all the diseases of men. 30. Plant the hands firmly on the ground and support on the elbows the sides of the navel, [the body] raised in an elevated posture in the air like a rod [i.e. straight and stiff, the feet above the ground on a level with the head]. This position they call MĀYŪRA. This posture resembles the plant balance in the modern course of gymnastics on the parallel bars. 31. The Mayūrāsana cures quickly all diseases like Gulma (enlargement of the glands), Udara (dropsy and other stomach diseases), etc. and overcomes the imbalance of the humours [namely vāta, pitta, and kapha]. It reduces to ashes [i.e. enables digestion of] all food indiscriminately taken, kindles the gastric fire and causes to be digested [even] the Kālakūṭa [a terrible poison]. During the churning of the Ocean by the gods and the Asura-s, the first thing that came out was the poison Kālakūṭa or Hālāhala. It began to burn the three worlds and no god could be persuaded to hold it. At last Śiva swallowed it, but ere it went down his throat Pārvatī held it firmly. So, it remained for ever there and Śiva's throat became dark blue. Hence his name Kālakaṇṭha or Nīlakaṇṭha, i.e. blue-throated. This may reveal some great cosmic mystery. 32. Lying on the back on the ground [at full length] like a corpse is ŚAVĀSANA. Śavāsana removes fatigue [caused by the other Āsana-s] and induces repose of mind.

HAṬHAYOGAPRADĪPIKĀ 15 33. The Āsana-s propounded by Śiva are eighty- four in number. Of those I shall describe four which are the quintessence. Gorakṣa says: ‘There are as many Āsana-s as there are varieties of beings. Śiva has enumerated eighty-four lakhs and he only knows them.’ Of these he selected eighty-four; among these, four are the most important and useful. 34. These four, Siddha, Padma, Siṁha and Bhadra [Āsana-s] are the most excellent. Of these [four] the most comfortable, Siddhāsana, can always be assumed. 35. The SIDDHĀSANA [is now described]: Press the perineum with the base of the [left] heel and place the [other] foot firmly above the penis [or pubis]. Keep the chin steadily on the breast. Remain motion- less with the sense-organs under control and with steady vision look at the spot between the eyebrows. This is called Siddhāsana; it throws open the door to emancipation. 36. According to another view, placing the left ankle above the penis and keeping the other ankle above it, is Siddhāsana. The Siddhāsana described in the previous verse is practised by the followers of Matsyendra. The one now described is pre- ferred by other Yogin-s. 37. Some say this is Siddhāsana, others know it as VAJRĀSANA; some call it MUKTĀSANA and others speak of it as GUPTĀSANA.

16 HAṬHAYOGAPRADĪPIKĀ The posture described first is called Siddhāsana. The same, when assumed with the right heel against the perineum and the left foot above the penis, is Vajrāsana. The Muktāsana consists in placing one heel under the perineum and the other heel above it. Guptāsana is described in verse 36 above. 38. The Siddha-s know that as among Yama-s a moderate diet is the most important, and among Niyama-s, harmlessness, so among all the Āsana-s is the Siddhāsana. 39. Of the eighty-four postures, one should al- ways practise Siddhāsana. It purifies the 72,000 Nāḍī-s. 40. The Yogin who, contemplating the Self and following a moderate diet, continually practises the Siddhāsana during twelve years, obtains fulfilment. 41. When the Siddhāsana is mastered, of what use are the various other Āsana-s? When the vital breath is well restrained by the practice of Kevala Kumbhaka, the Unmanī-avasthā, which gives delight, arises of its own without effort. 42. When there is complete mastery of the Siddhā- sana alone, the three Bandha-s follow without effort and naturally. The Bandha-s are Mūla-bandha, Uḍḍīyāna-bandha and Jālamdhara-bandha. As these and the Unmanī-avasthā are described later on (III. 55 ff.), they are not explained here. 43. There is no Āsana like the Siddha, no Kum- bhaka like the Kevala, no Mudrā like the Khecarī, and no Laya (absorption of the mind) like that of the inner sound (nāda).

HAṬHAYOGAPRADĪPIKĀ 17 44. Then the PADMĀSANA [is described]: Place the right foot on the left thigh and the left [foot] on the right thigh, cross the hands behind the back and firmly take hold of the toes [the right toe with the right hand and the left toe with the left]. Place the chin on the breast and look at the tip of the nose. This is called Padmāsana; it destroys the diseases of the self- restrained [Yogin-s]. The secret teaching is that there should always be a space of four aṅgula-s or three inches between the chin and the breast. 45, 46. Another view: Place the feet with [the necessary] effort, soles up, on the [opposite] thighs and place the hands, palms facing upwards, between the thighs; direct the eyes to the tip of the nose and place [the tip of] the tongue at the root of the front teeth, and the chin on the chest and slowly raise upwards the Prāṇa [by contracting the anus in the Mūla- bandha]. 47. This is called Padmāsana; it destroys all diseases. It cannot be attained by ordinary persons. Only the intelligent on the earth attain it. 48. Assuming well the Padmāsana, with the palms one upon the other [on the lap] fix the chin firmly upon the breast and contemplating [Brahman] in the mind (citta), repeatedly raise the Apāna upwards [by contracting the anus] and bring the inhaled Prāṇa downwards. By this a man obtains unequalled knowl- edge through the power of Kuṇḍalinī [which is roused by this process].

• 2

18 HAṬHAYOGAPRADĪPIKĀ By the union of the Prāṇa and the Apāna, the gastric fire is aroused and the serpent Kuṇḍalinī that lies coiled around three and a half times, closing the opening of the Suṣumnā with its mouth, feels this and, straightening itself, begins to move upwards. Then the Prāṇa and the Apāna should be forced through the opening into the Suṣumnā. The process described in this verse is that of the Jālamdhara-bandha. 49. The Yogin, seated in the Padmāsana posture, by steadying the breath drawn in through the Nāḍī-s, becomes liberated; there is no doubt about this. 50. Then the SIṂHĀSANA [is described]: Place the ankles below the scrotum, on either side of the perineum, the right ankle on the left side of it, and the left ankle on the right. 51. Place the palms upon the knees, spread out the fingers, and with opened mouth look at the tip of the nose with concentrated mind. 52. This is Siṃhāsana held in great esteem by the highest Yogin-s. This most excellent Āsana facilitates the three Bandha-s. 53. Next the BHADRĀSANA [is described]: Place the ankles below the scrotum on the sides of the perineum, the left ankle on the left and the right ankle on the right [sole to sole]. 54. Then hold firmly with the hands the feet, which are on their sides, and remain motionless. This is Bhadrāsana which destroys all diseases. The Yogin-s who have become Siddha-s call this GORAKṢĀSANA. 55. Thus the best of Yogin-s, being free of fatigue in practising Āsana-s and Bandha-s, should practise

HAṬHAYOGAPRADĪPIKĀ 19 purification of the Nāḍī-s, Mudrā-s, etc. and control of breath. 56. Āsana-s, the varieties of Kumbhaka, the positions called Mudrā [i.e. Mahāmudrā, etc.], then concentration upon the nāda (inner sound) comprise the sequence of practice in Haṭha-yoga. 57. The Brahmacārin [one devoted to Brahman, who leads a chaste life] who, following a moderate diet, is intent on Yoga, renouncing [the fruits of his actions], becomes a Siddha after a year. There need be no doubt about this. 58. 'Moderate diet' is defined to mean agreeable and sweet food, leaving one-fourth of the stomach free, eaten [as an offering] to please Śiva. The Yogin should fill two parts of his stomach with food and the third with water, leaving the fourth free for the passage of air. 'Pleasing Śiva' means that he should think that the one who eats is Śiva and not himself; as the Śruti-s say: 'The eater is Maheśvara, the great Lord.' 59. The following things are said to be unsalutary [for Yogin-s]: Things that are bitter, sour, pungent, salty, heating, green vegetables [other than those or- dained], sour gruel, [sesame or mustard] oil, sesamum, mustard, alcohol, fish, flesh including that of the goat, curds, buttermilk, horse-gram, the fruit of the jujube, oil cakes, asafoetida and garlic. By 'bitter', substances such as bitter gourd are meant. Sour such as tamarind; pungent such as chillies; heating such as jaggery, which increase the temperature of the body.