Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā: now available in ten chapters

A longer version of the classic haṭha manual is now available in English and includes chapters on a variety of subjects, some of which may seem somewhat bizarre to modern practitioners!

The Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā (Light on Haṭha Yoga) was composed by Swami Svātmārāma in around 1380CE.  This text is widely regarded as a seminal classic on haṭhayoga and is a synthesis of the various yoga techniques that evolved from earlier Tantric and ascetic practices. Many of the techniques taught in today’s yoga studios can be traced directly to the Pradīpikā.

Up until 2001, published editions of the Pradīpikā contained around 389 ślokas divided into 4 or 5 chapters. These were based on translations of various medieval manuscripts scattered around the libraries of India. For some time, researchers had suspected that the complete Pradīpikā originally contained ten chapters but they were unable to locate the missing stanzas.

Then in 2001, after 25 years of searching, the Lonavla Institute, located a text in the Maharaja Mansingh Library, Jodhpur, containing the full ten chapters. In 2006 the institute published the first English edition of the complete text, entitled Haṭhapradīpikā of Svātmārama (10 Chapters). The new text contains 626 stanzas and includes a translation of a commentary authored by Bālakṛṣṇa.  (Intriguingly, the publishers also found an even longer Pradīpikā manuscript containing 1553 stanzas with descriptions of 100 āsanas, not found in any other traditional texts. This version remains unpublished at present.)

The newly published Haṭhapradīpikā contains additional information on:

There is also a slightly bizarre chapter on ariṣṭa: omens and portents of impending death.

This edition of the Pradīpikā makes it clear that our Yogi predecessors considered the physical practices a vital component of yoga.

“According to the Yogis, the human body stands out as the foremost of all instruments:” (1:12)

Like modern yoga practitioners, early haṭha yogins placed primacy on āsana practice, which was undertaken as the first stage in a broad spectrum of physical techniques.

“The āsanas being the first part of the Haṭha Yoga Curriculum, are being discussed here.” (2:1) “Āsanas are considered the first part of Haṭha Yoga.” (Bālakṛṣṇa Commentary)

The author Svātmārama states that there are 8400 000 postures from which Ādinātha (Śiva) selected 84 as being the most important. Fifteen key āsanas are then discussed as well as several mudrās that are effectively practised as āsanas: e.g. viparïtakaraṇī-mudrā - the reversing mudrā, today popularly known as 'half shoulder stand'.

Yama (mastery) of an āsana was accomplished after the holding of a posture for up to 3 hours. This suggests that a significant amount of time was spent practising āsana.

Āsana and ṣaṭkarma (cleansing exercises) are described as the means by which to purify and strengthen: or “bake” the body. Prāṇāyāma was practised to prepare the mind and nervous system for meditation and the awakening of Kuṇḍalinī-śakti. The body was seen as a vehicle and tool by which the Jīva (individual soul) was able to achieve mokṣa (liberation)  within this lifetime: Jīvanmukti.

'Haṭhapradīpikā of Svātmārama (10 Chapters)' is a brilliant addition to the growing body of haṭhayoga literature. It offers us an increased understanding of the complete system of haṭhayoga as practised in India at this time. It is sure to be of great interest to serious yoga students and scholars alike.

Pradipīkā can be translated as ‘self-illuminating.’

Hari OM
James Russell

'Haṭhapradīpikā of Svātmārama (10 Chapters)' is Published by the Lonavla institute by Dr M. L. Gharote For more information on this and other works on Haṭhayoga, visit the Lonavla institute’s website: www.lonavalayoga.org