Gherandasamhita

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The Gherandasamhita ( Sanskrit : धेरंड संहिता gheraṇḍasaṃhitā f. "Gheranda's compilation") is one of the most important traditional writings on Hatha Yoga .

Author and work

The author Gheranda is only known from the present work. Accordingly, he was a Vishnuit from Bengal , which can be concluded from the dietary regulations. The Gherandasamhita dates from the 2nd half of the 17th century and is only significantly younger than the Hathapradipika . Both are based on an earlier work and some verses from the two works are identical. Another common predecessor is the Gorakshashataka .

content

The Gherandasamhita describes various yoga practices in great detail. The script is conceived as a conversation between the teacher Gheranda and his student Chanda Kapali. It has seven chapters and 351 verses.

1. Shatkarmasadhana

The first chapter begins with a greeting. According to this, yoga is called the "strongest force", Maya the strongest fetter, the highest friend is knowledge ( jnana ) and the greatest enemy is the ego ( ahamkara ). Then follows the description of the six physical purifications ( shodhana ) corresponding to the Shatkriyas .

2. Asanaprayoga

The second chapter deals with the yoga postures, of which there are said to be 8,400,000, namely one for each being in space; 84 of them are excellent, and of these 32 are useful to humans. These are described in detail.

3. Mudraprayoga

The third chapter deals with mudras , 25 of which are described. In Gheranda these include some bandhas and the headstand , which he calls viparikakarani . Verses 68-81 deal with the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether ).

4. Pratyaharaprayoga

The fourth chapter describes Pratyahara , the consolidation and withdrawal of the senses.

5. Pranayamaprayoga

In the fifth chapter, Pranayama , the yogic breathing technique, is explained. The chapter begins with the ideal place for the spiritual exercises, which are carried out in a hut that should not be in the forest or in the city; foreign countries are also unsuitable for the practice. Then there are other rules regarding times, food, sexual abstinence, and direction of view. Only then are the actual breathing techniques explained. Verse 84 deals with the mantra so'ham .

6. Dhyanayoga

The sixth chapter deals with meditation .

7. Samadhi yoga

The final chapter then describes the state of samadhi .

literature

  • Boris Sakharov : The big secret. The hidden side of yoga exercises. The tantric work Gheranda-Samhita . Drei Eichen Verlag, Munich 1981, ISBN 3-7699-0358-7 (with translation of the Gherandasamhita)
  • Helmtrud Wieland: The spectrum of yoga . Hinder + Deelmann, Gladenbach 2006, ISBN 3-87348-150-2 , pp. 381-392
  • Rai Bahadur Srisa Chandra Vasu (translator): The Gheranda Samhita. English and Sanskrit. 1914
  • Swami Digambar, ML Gharote: Gheraṇḍa saṁhitā. Kaivalyadhama SMYM Samiti, Lonavla 1978

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