Shiva Samhita
Encyclopedia
Shiva Samhita is a Sanskrit
text on yoga
, written by an unknown author. The text is addressed by the Hindu
god Shiva
to his consort Parvati
("Shiva Samhita" means "Shiva's Compendium"). It is one of three major surviving classical treatises on hatha yoga
, the other two being Gheranda Samhita
and Hatha Yoga Pradipika
. The Shiva Samhita is considered the most comprehensive and the most democratic treatise on hatha yoga.
, as it has been cited by many works believed to have been composed in 17th century. Based on the clues given in the text, Mallinson also believes that the Shiva Samhita was composed in or around Varanasi
.
, and provides techniques to regulate them. It also deals with abstract yogic
philosophy, mudra
s, tantric
practices, and meditation
. It emphasizes that even a common householder can practice yoga and benefit from it.
The first chapter mentions various methods of liberation and philosophical standpoints. The second chapter describes the nadis
, the internal fire, and the working of the jiva
. The third chapter describes the winds in the body, the importance of the guru, the four stages of the Yoga, the five elemental visualizations and four asana
s in detail. The fourth chapter deals with the eleven mudra
s that can result in yogic attainments. The fifth chapter is the longest and most diverse -- it describes obstacles to the liberation, the four types of aspirants, the technique of shadow gazing
, the internal sound, the esoteric centers and energies in the body (such as the kundalini
), the seven lotuses, the "king of kings of yogas", and a global mantra
.
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
text on yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
, written by an unknown author. The text is addressed by the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
god Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
to his consort Parvati
Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
("Shiva Samhita" means "Shiva's Compendium"). It is one of three major surviving classical treatises on hatha yoga
Hatha yoga
Hatha yoga , also called hatha vidya , is a system of yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a Hindu sage of 15th century India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika....
, the other two being Gheranda Samhita
Gherand Samhita
Gheranda Samhita meaning “Gheranda's collection” is one of the three classic texts of hatha yoga . It is a late 17th century text and is considered to be the most encyclopedic of the three classic texts on hatha yoga.Gheranda Samhita is a manual of yoga taught by Gheranda to Chanda Kapali...
and Hatha Yoga Pradipika
Hatha Yoga Pradipika
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is a classic Sanskrit manual on hatha yoga, written by Svami Svatmarama, a disciple of Swami Gorakhnath. Said to be the oldest surviving text on the hatha yoga, it is one of the three classic texts of hatha yoga, the other two being the Gheranda Samhita and the Shiva...
. The Shiva Samhita is considered the most comprehensive and the most democratic treatise on hatha yoga.
Date
Many believe that Shiva Samhita was written in 17th or 18th century, but in a 2007 translation, James Mallinson dates the text before 1500CECommon Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
, as it has been cited by many works believed to have been composed in 17th century. Based on the clues given in the text, Mallinson also believes that the Shiva Samhita was composed in or around Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
.
Content
Shiva Samhita talks about the complex physiology, names 84 different asanas (only four of which are described in detail), describes five specific types of pranaPrana
Prana is the Sanskrit word for "vital life" .It is one of the five organs of vitality or sensation, viz. prana "breath", vac "speech", chakshus "sight", shrotra "hearing", and manas "thought" Prana is the Sanskrit word for "vital life" (from the root "to fill", cognate to Latin plenus...
, and provides techniques to regulate them. It also deals with abstract yogic
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
philosophy, mudra
Mudra
A mudrā is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers...
s, tantric
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
practices, and meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
. It emphasizes that even a common householder can practice yoga and benefit from it.
The first chapter mentions various methods of liberation and philosophical standpoints. The second chapter describes the nadis
Nadi (yoga)
' are the channels through which, in traditional Indian medicine and spiritual science, the energies of the subtle body are said to flow. They connect at special points of intensity called chakras...
, the internal fire, and the working of the jiva
Jiva
In Hinduism and Jainism, a jiva is a living being, or more specifically, the immortal essence of a living organism which survives physical death. It has a very similar usage to atma, but whereas atma refers to "the cosmic self", jiva is used to denote an individual 'living entity' or 'living...
. The third chapter describes the winds in the body, the importance of the guru, the four stages of the Yoga, the five elemental visualizations and four asana
Asana
Asana is a body position, typically associated with the practice of Yoga, originally identified as a mastery of sitting still, with the spine as a conduit of biodynamic union...
s in detail. The fourth chapter deals with the eleven mudra
Mudra
A mudrā is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers...
s that can result in yogic attainments. The fifth chapter is the longest and most diverse -- it describes obstacles to the liberation, the four types of aspirants, the technique of shadow gazing
Trataka
Trataka is the practice of staring at some external object. It is used in yoga as a way of developing concentration, strengthening the eyes, and stimulating the Ajna chakra....
, the internal sound, the esoteric centers and energies in the body (such as the kundalini
Kundalini
Kundalini literally means coiled. In yoga, a "corporeal energy" - an unconscious, instinctive or libidinal force or Shakti, lies coiled at the base of the spine. It is envisioned either as a goddess or else as a sleeping serpent, hence a number of English renderings of the term such as 'serpent...
), the seven lotuses, the "king of kings of yogas", and a global mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
.
Translations
Many English translations of Shiva Samhita have been made. The earliest known English translation is by Shri Chandra Vasu (1884, Lahore) in the series known as "The Sacred Books of the Hindus" The translation by Rai Bahadur and Srisa Chandra Vasu in 1914, also in the series known as "The Sacred Books of the Hindus", was the first translation to find a global audience. However, it omits certain sections (such as vajroli mudra) and is considered inaccurate by some. In 2007, James Mallinson made a new translation to address these issues. The new translation is based on the only available critical edition of the text — the one publIshed in 1999 by the Kaivalya Dham Yoga Research Institute.External links
- Critical edition with English translation (2007) by James Mallinson (Free Incomplete PDF)
- An English translation (PDF), based on the 1914 edition translated by Rai Bahadur/Srisa Chandra Vasu and another unidentified edition (registration required for download)
- An English translation (1887) by Srischandra Basu (PDF)
- Siva Samhita Sanskrit text with English translation - Srisa Chandra Vasu (PDF)