HATHA YOGA PRADIPIKA
Sanskrit text with English Translatin & Notes
Yogi Svatmarama
HATHA YOGA PRADIPIKA
Translated by
Pancham Sinh
Source of Etext: http:// sacredtexts.com
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................... 6
CHAPTER 1 - ON SANAS ................................................. 16
sanas ........................................................................................................ 25
Swastikasana ............................................................................................ 26
Gomukhasana ........................................................................................... 26
Vrsana ...................................................................................................... 27
Kurmsana .................................................................................................. 27
Kukkutsana ............................................................................................... 28
Uttna Krmasana .................................................................................... 28
Dhanursana ............................................................................................... 29
Matsyasana ............................................................................................... 29
Pachima Tna ............................................................................................ 30
Mayrasana. ............................................................................................. 31
avasana ................................................................................................... 33
The Siddhsana ........................................................................................... 34
Padmsana ................................................................................................. 38
The Simhsana ............................................................................................ 42
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The Bhadrsana .......................................................................................... 43
Foods injurious to a Yog ............................................................................. 46
CHAPTER II - ON PRNYMA ...................................... 51
Shatkarma .................................................................................................. 60
The Dhauti .................................................................................................. 61
The Basti ..................................................................................................... 62
The Neti ...................................................................................................... 64
The Trtaka ................................................................................................. 65
The Nauli..................................................................................................... 66
The Kapla Bhti ......................................................................................... 67
Gaja Karani ................................................................................................. 68
Manonman ................................................................................................ 70
Different hinds of Kumbhakas ..................................................................... 71
Srya Bhedana ............................................................................................ 73
Ujjy .......................................................................................................... 81
Stkr ......................................................................................................... 82
tal ............................................................................................................ 84
The Bhastrik .............................................................................................. 85
The Bhrmari .............................................................................................. 89
The mrchh ............................................................................................... 89
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The Plvin .................................................................................................. 90
Indications of success in the practice of Hatha Yoga ................................... 94
CHAPTER III - ON MUDRS ............................................. 95
The mudrs ................................................................................................. 97
The mah mudr ......................................................................................... 99
The mah Bandha ..................................................................................... 103
The mah Vedha ....................................................................................... 106
The Khechari Mudra.................................................................................. 108
The Uddiyna Bandha ............................................................................... 121
The mla Bandha ...................................................................................... 123
The Jlandhara Bandha ............................................................................. 127
The Viparta Karan ................................................................................... 131
The Vajrol ................................................................................................ 133
The Sahajol .............................................................................................. 137
The Amarol .............................................................................................. 138
The akti chlana ...................................................................................... 142
CHAPTER IV - ON SAMDHI ......................................... 153
The Smbhav mudr ................................................................................ 167
The Unman .............................................................................................. 169
The Traka ................................................................................................ 169
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The Khechar ............................................................................................. 171
End of the Khechar ................................................................................... 176
rambha Avasth ..................................................................................... 182
The Ghata Avasth .................................................................................... 183
The Parichaya Avasth .............................................................................. 184
The Nishthavastha .................................................................................... 185
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INTRODUCTION
There exists at present a good deal of misconception
with regard to the practices of the Hatha Yoga. People
easily believe in the stories told by those who
themselves heard them second hand, and no attempt is
made to find out the truth by a direct reference to any
good treatise. It is generally believed that the six
practices, (Shatkarma) in Hatha Yoga are compulsory
on the student and that besides being dirty, they are
fraught with danger to the practiser. This is not true, for
these practices are necessary only in the existence of
impurities in the Ndis, and not otherwise.
There is the same amount of misunderstanding with
regard to the Prnyma. People put their faith
implicitly in the stories told them about the dangers
attending the practice, without ever taking the trouble of
ascertaining the fact themselves. We have been inspiring
and expiring air from our birth, and will continue to do
so till death; and this is done without the help of any
teacher. Prnyma is nothing but a properly regulated
form of the otherwise irregular and hurried flow of air,
without using much force or undue restraint; and if this
is accomplished by patiently keeping the flow slow and
steady, there can be no danger. It is the impatience for
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the Siddhis which cause undue pressure on the organs
and thereby causes pains in the ears, the eyes, the chest,
etc. If the three bandhas (Bandha) be carefully
performed while practising the Prnyma, there is no
possibility of any danger.
There are two classes of students of Yoga: (1) those who
study it theoretically; (2) those who combine the theory
with practice.
Yoga is of very little use, if studied theoretically. It was
never meant for such a study. In its practical form,
however, the path of the student is beset with
difficulties. The books on Yoga give instructions so far
as it is possible to express the methods in words, but all
persons, not being careful enough to follow these
instructions to the very letter, fail in their object. Such
persons require a teacher versed