The Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā — trans. Pancham Sinh (1915)

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, (षट्कर्म) 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 Nadis, and not otherwise.

There is the same amount of misunderstanding with regard to the Pranayama. 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. Pranayama 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 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 (बन्ध) be carefully performed while practising the Pranayama, 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 in the practice of Yoga. It is easy to find a teacher who will explain the language of the books, but this is far from being satisfactory. For instance, a Pandit without any knowledge of the science of Materia Medica will explain कंटकारि as कंटकस्यारिः कंटकारिः or an enemy of thorns, i.e., shoes, while it is in reality the name of a medicinal plant.

The importance of a practical Yogi as a guide to a student of Yoga cannot be overestimated ; and without such a teacher it is next to impossible for him to achieve anything. The methods followed by the founders of the system and followed ever afterwards by their followers, have been wisely and advisedly kept secret; and this is not without a deep meaning. Looking to the gravity of the subject and the practices which have a very close relation with the vital organs of the human body, it is of paramount importance that the instructions should be received by students of ordinary capacity, through a practical teacher only, in order to avoid any possibility of mistake in practice. Speaking broadly, all men are not equally fitted to receive the instructions on equal terms. Man inherits on birth his mental and physical capitals, according to his actions in past births, and has to increase them by manipulation, but there are, even among such, different grades. Hence, one cannot become a Yogi in one incarnation, as says Sri Krisna बहूनांजन्मनामन्ते मामप्रपद्यतिभारत । and again मनुष्याणां सहस्रेषु कश्चिद्यतति सिद्धये । यततामपिसिद्धानां कश्चिन्मां वेत्ति तत्त्वतः ॥ गीता ॥

There are men who, impelled by the force of their actions of previous births, go headlong and accomplish their liberation in a single attempt ; but others have to earn it in their successive births. If the student belongs to one of such souls and being earnest, desires from his heart to get rid of the pains of birth and death, he will find the means too. It is well-known that a true Yogi is above temptations and so to think that he keeps his knowledge secret for selling it to the highest bidder is simply absurd. Yoga is meant for the good of all creatures, and a true Yogi is always desirous of benefitting as many men as possible. But he is not to throw away this precious treasure indiscriminately. He carefully chooses its recipients, and when be finds a true and earnest student, who will not trifle with this knowledge, he never hesitates in placing his valuable treasure at the disposal of the man. What is essential in him is that he should have a real thirst for such knowledge—a thirst which will make him restless till satisfied ; the thirst that will make him blind to the world and its enjoyments. He should be, in short, fired with मुमुक्षुत्व or desire for emancipation. To such a one, there is nothing dearer than the accomplishment of this object. A true lover will risk his very life to gain union with his beloved like Tulasidas. A true lover will see everywhere, in every direction, in every tree and leaf, in every blade of grass his own beloved. The whole of the world, with all its beauties, is a dreary waste in his eyes, without his beloved. And he will court death, fall into the mouth of a gaping grave, for the sake of his beloved. The student whose heart burns with such intense desire for union with Paramatma, is sure to find a teacher, and through him he will surely find Him It is a tried experience that Paramatma will try to meet you half way, with the degree of intensity with which you will go to meet Him. Even He Himself will become your guide, direct you on to the road to success, or put you on the track to find a teacher, or lead him to you.

Well has it been said जिन ढूँढा तिन पाइयाँ गहरे पानी पैठि । मैं बावरि ढूँढन चली रही किनारे बैठि ॥ It is the half-hearted who fail. They hold their worldly pleasures dearer to their hearts than their God, and therefore He in His turn does not consider them worthy of His favours. Says the Upanisad :— नायमात्मा प्रवचनेन लभ्यो न मेधया न बहुना श्रुतेन । यमेवैष वृणुते तेनलभ्यस्तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनुस्वाम् ॥

The atma will choose you its abode only if it considers you worthy of such a favour, and not otherwise. It is therefore necessary that one should first make oneself worthy of His acceptance. Having prepared the temple (your heart) well fitted for His installation there, having cleared it of all the impurities which stink and make the place unsuitable for the highest personage to live in, and having decorated it beautifully with objects as befit that Lord of the creation, you need not wait long for Him to adorn this temple of yours which you have taken pains to make it worthy of Him. If you have done all this, He -will shine in you in all His glory. In your difficult moments, when you are embarrassed, sit in a contemplative mood, and approach your Parama Guru submissively and refer your difficulties to Him, you are sure to get the proper advice from Him. He is the Guru of the ancients, for He is not limited by Time. He instructed the ancients in bygone times, like a Guru, and if you have been unable to find a teacher in the human form, enter your inner temple and consult this Great Guru who accompanies you everywhere, and ask Him to show you the way. He knows best what is best for you. Unlike mortal beings, He is beyond the past and the future, will either send one of His agents to guide you or lead you to one and put you on the right track. He is always anxious to teach the earnest seekers, and waits for you to offer Him an opportunity to do so. But if you have not done your duty and prepared yourself worthy of entering His door, and try to gain access to His presence, laden with your unclean burden, stinking with Kama, Krodha, Lobha, and Moha, be sure He will keep you off from Him.

The Asanas are a means of gaining steadiness of position and help to gain success in contemplation, without any distraction of the mind. If the position be not comfortable, the slightest inconvenience will draw the mind away from the laksya (aim), and so no peace of mind will be possible till the posture has ceased to cause pain by regular exercise.

Of all the various methods for concentrating thé mind, repetition of Pranava or Ajapa Japa and contemplation on its meaning is the best. It is impossible for the mind to sit idle even for a single moment, and, therefore, in order to keep it well occupied and to keep other antagonistic thoughts from entering it, repetition of Pranava should be practised. It should be repeated till Yoga Nidra is induced which, when experienced, should be encouraged by slackening all the muscles of the body. This will fill the mind with sacred and divine thoughts and will bring about its one-pointedness, without much effort.

Anahata Nada is awakened by the exercise of Pranayama. A couple of weeks’ practice with 80 pranayamas in the morning and the same number in the evening will cause distinct sounds to be heard ; and, as the practice will go on increasing, varied sounds become audible to the practiser. By hearing these sounds attentively one gets concentration of the mind, and thence Sahaja Samadhi. When Yoga sleep is experienced, the student should give himself up to it and make no efforts to check it. By and by, these sounds become subtle and they bocome less and less intense, so the mind loses its waywardness and becomes calm and docile ; and, on this practice becoming well-established, Samadhi becomes a voluntary act. This is, however, the highest stage and is the lot of the favoured and fortunate few only.

During contemplation one sees, not with his eyes, as he does the objects of the world, various colours, which the writers on Yoga call the colours of the five elements. Sometimes, stars are seen glittering, and lightning flashes in the sky. But these are all fleeting in their nature.

At first these colours are seen in greatly agitated waves which show the unsteady condition of the mind; and as the practice increases and the mind becomes calm, these colour-waves become steady and motionless and appear as one deep ocean of light. This is the ocean in which one should dive and forget the world and become one with his Lord— which is the condition of highest bliss.

Faith in the practices of Yoga, and in one’s own powers to accomplish what others have done before, is of great importance to insure speedy success. I mean “ faith that will move mountains,” will accomplish anything, be it howsoever difficult. There is nothing which cannot be accomplished by practice. Says Siva in Siva Samhita. अभ्यासाज्जायते सिद्धिरभ्यासान्मोक्षमाप्नुयात् ॥ संविदंलभतेऽभ्यासा द्योगोभ्यासात्प्रवर्तते । मुद्राणांसिद्धिरभ्यासा दभ्यासाद्वायुसाधनम् ॥ कालवञ्चनमभ्यासात्तथामृत्युञ्जयोभवेत् । वाक्सिद्धिः कामचारित्वं भवेदभ्यासयोगतः ॥ अ० ४ श्लोक ९—११

Through practice success is obtained ; through practice one gains liberation.

Perfect consciousness is gained through practice ; Yoga is attained through practice ; success in mudras comes by practice. Through practice is gained success in pranayama. Death can be evaded of its prey through practice, and man becomes the conqueror of death by practice. And then let us gird up our loins, and with a firm resolutian engage in the practice, having faith in कर्मण्येवाधिकारते मा फलेषु कदाचन, and the success must be ours. May the Almighty Father, be pleased to shower His blessings on those who thus engage in the performance of their duties. Om Sam.

AJMER:
PANCHAM SINH.
31st January, 1915.

THE HATHA YOGA PRADIPIKA.

CHAPTER I.

On Asanas.

Salutation to Adinatha (Siva) who expounded the knowledge of Hatha Yoga, which like a staircase leads the aspirant to the high pinnacled Raja Yoga. 1.

Yogin Swatmarama, after saluting first his Guru Srinatha explains
Hatha Yoga for the attainment of Raja Yoga. 2.

Owing to the darkness arising from the multiplicity of opinions people are unable to know the Raja Yoga. Compassionate Swatmarama composes the Hatha Yoga Pradipika like a torch to dispel it. 3.

Matsyendra, Goraksa, etc., knew Hatha Vidya, and by their favour
Yogi Swatmarama also learnt it from them. 4.

The following Siddhas (masters) are said to have existed in former times :—

Sri Adinatha (Siva), Matsyendra, Natha, Sabar, Anand, Bhairava,
Chaurangi, Mina natha, Goraksanatha, Virupaksa, Bilesaya. 5.

Manthana, Bhairava, Siddhi Buddha, Kanthadi, Karantaka, Surananda, Siddhipada, Charapati. 6.

Kaneri, Pujyapada, Nityanatha, Niranjana, Kapali, Vindunatha,
Kaka Chandiswara. 7.

Allama, Prabhudeva, Ghoda, Choli, Tintini, Bhanuki, Nardeva,
Khanda Kapalika, etc. 8.

These Mahasiddhas (great masters), breaking the sceptre of death, are roaming in the universe. 9.

Like a house protecting one from the heat of the sun, Hatha Yoga protects its practiser from the burning heat of the three Tapas ; and, similarly, it is the supporting tortoise, as it were, for those who are constantly devoted to the practice of Yoga. 10.

A Yogi desirous of success should keep the knowledge of Hatha

Yoga secret ; for it becomes potent by concealing, and impotent by exposing. 11.

The Yogi should practise Hatha Yoga in a small room, situated in a solitary place, being 4 cubits square, and free from stones, fire, water, disturbances of all kinds, and in a country where justice is properly administered, where good people live, and food can be obtained easily and plentifully. 12.

The room’ should have a small door, be free from holes, hollows, neither too high nor too low, well plastered with cow-dung and free from dirt, filth and insects. On its outside there should be bowers, raised platform (chabootra), a well, and a compound. These characteristics of a room for Hatha Yogis have been described by adepts in the practice of Hatha. 13.

Having seated in such a room and free from all anxieties, he should practise Yoga, as instructed by his guru. 14.

Yoga is destroyed by the following six causes : —Over-eating, exertion, talkativeness, adhering to rules, i.e., cold bath in the morning, eating at night, or eating fruits only, company of men, and unsteadiness. 15.

The following six bring speedy success :—Courage, daring,
perseverance, discriminative knowledge, faith, aloofness from company.
16.

The ten rules of conduct are: ahimsa (non-injuring), truth, non-stealing, continence, forgiveness, endurance, compassion, meekness, sparing diet and cleanliness. 17.

The ten niyamas mentioned by those proficient in the knowledge of yoga are: Tapa, patience, belief in God, charity, adoration of God, hearing discourses on the principles of religion, shame, intellect, Tapa and Yajna. 18.

Asanas.
Being the first accessory of Hatha Yoga, asana is described first.
It should be practised for gaining steady posture, health and lightness
of body. 19.

I am going to describe certain asanas which have been adopted by
Munis like Vasistha, etc., and Yogis like Matsyendra, etc. 20.

Swastika-asana.

Having kept both the hands under both the thighs, with the body straight, when one sits calmly in this posture, it is called Swastika. 21.

Gomukha-asana.

Placing the right ankle on the left side and the left ankle on the right side, makes Gomukha-asana, having the appearance of a cow. 22.

Virasana.
One foot is to be placed on the thigh of the opposite side; and so
also the other foot on the opposite thigh. This is called Virasana. 23.

Kurmasana.
Placing the right ankle on the left side of anus, and the left ankle
on the right side of it, makes what the Yogis call Kurma-asana. 24.

Kukkuta asana. Taking the posture of Padma-asana and carrying the hands under the thighs, when the Yogi raises himself above the ground, with his palms resting on the ground, it becomes Kukkuta-asana. 25.

Uttana Kurma-asana.

Having assumed Kukkuta-asana, when one grasps his neck by crossing his hands behind his head, and lies in this posture with his back touching the ground, it becomes Uttana Kurma-asana, from its appearance like that of a tortoise. 26.

Dhanura asana.

Having caught the toes of the feet with both the hands and carried them to the ears by drawing the body like a bow, it becomes Dhanura asana. 27.

Matsya-asana.