हठयोग प्रदीपिका (योगी स्वात्माराम - ज्योत्स्ना टीका सहित सटीक)

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,

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