top of page
Writer's picturehathavidyatch

Post Classical Period: The Three Pillars of Hatha Yogic Practices (s1:e2)

Updated: Sep 17

The three conventional texts of Hatha Yoga are Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita and Siva Samhita. These are considered as the pillars of Hatha Yoga originated in the Post Classical period and belonged to the Post classical period viz., Hatha Pradīpikā (1300 – 1400 A.D.) by Swami Swat marama, Gheranda Samhita by Sage Ghreranda Muni (1657–1700 A.D.) and Siva Samhitā during the seventeenth century. Yogi Svātmārāma wrote Hatha Yoga Pradīpikā which was composed in the 15th century as a compilation of the earlier Haṭha yoga texts. Svātmārāma incorporates older Sanskrit concepts into his synthesis. Hatha Yoga as a set of practices is explained under four limbs also known as Chaturanga Yoga, namely Asana, Kumbhaka, Mudra &Nadaanu sandhana. He introduces this system as methods to achieve the highest state of Raja Yoga.



Image of hatha yoga post classical period

Gheranda Samhita is a late 17th-century text, probably from north east India, structured as a teaching manual based on a dialogue between Gheranda and his disciple ChandaKapali. This is a step by step manual, and the system is also known as Saptanga Yoga. Shatkarma, Asana, Mudra, Pratyahara, Pranayama, Dhyana and Samadhi form the seven limbs of Yoga as enumerated in Gheranda Samhita.


According to Sage Gheraṇḍa, when body is purified through ṣaṭkarma, it is made firm and stable by āsana, prāṇa is controlled and retained by mudrā, then one can naturally do the practice of pratyāhāra. Practice of pranayama with specific mantras creates direct impact on energy fields within the body and mind through the vibrations of the mantras which eventually contribute for the expansion of awareness. Dhyāna arises naturally when the body is pure, firm and stable and the mind is with drawn within it self leading to Samadhi, being the ultimate state of Yoga i.e., the state of equipoise.


Siva Samhita, the third classical book of Hatha yoga, dates back to the 17th Century, while some scholars such as James Mallison believe the text to be between the 1300 and 1500 CE. This book is presented as being addressed by Siva to his consort Parvati and explains the concept of yoga, its philosophy and practice in detail.

13 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page