हठयोग प्रदीपिका (योगी स्वात्माराम - ज्योत्स्ना टीका सहित सटीक)

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.