Shivasamhita

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The Shivasamhita ( Sanskrit : ś śivasaṁhitā "Shiva's collection") belongs to the most important texts of Hatha yoga , along with the Hathapradipika and the Gherandasamhita . The spiritually esoteric text was written around 1700 and consists of five chapters. Its length is 645 verses. The author is unknown, the text is placed in the mouth of the god Shiva .

construction

The teaching of Shivasamhita is a mixture of Samkhya , Vedanta , Tantra and Buddhism .

First chapter

The first chapter is a philosophical treatise on knowledge and ignorance. The text lists various forms of belief, such as asceticism , forgiveness , alms , sacrifice , pilgrimage , and then names various doctrines. Regardless of whether a person believes in God or not, all of these different views confused people and would drive them around on the path of salvation . Although bad deeds lead to hell and good deeds lead to heaven , the result is the same, namely rebirth and entanglement.

Anyone who has left virtue and vice behind and does not strive for the reward of good deeds should turn to yoga, the only true teaching, and think it through very carefully and several times.

The text gives examples of delusions of perception and mind. The cause of ignorance is the illusion māyā , which is a whim of the universe. Then follows a spiritual explanation of the origins of the subtle and material world. The human body, the temple of sorrows and joys, encloses the immaterial soul (jīva) , enjoying the fruits of karma .

second chapter

The second chapter deals with the subtle body, especially the energy channels (nāḍi) and the inner fire (vaiśvānara) on the basis of tantric teachings . Then the text goes into more detail on the soul, which is adorned with a garland of endless desires, and its relationship to karma.

third chapter

The third chapter teaches yoga practice. After describing the life energy (prāṇa) and the associated body winds (vāyu) , the relationship between the spiritual teacher and the student is discussed. Without oral mediation by a teacher, the fruits of knowledge are unproductive and painful. Rules of behavior and eating are drawn up. The main theme is the breathing exercises (prāṇāyāma) , their effects and the special abilities (siddhi) achieved through them , as well as the four levels of the student body. At the end of the chapter four sitting postures (āsana) are described: Siddhasana, Padmasana , Ugrasana and Svastikasana.

Chapter Four

The fourth chapter has the Kaula-Sekta out, a form of Shivaism . The Kundalini should be awakened through concentration exercises, imagination and mudras . Several mudras and bandhas are described.

Fifth chapter

In the fifth chapter Shiva teaches his wife Parvati about the obstacles on the yoga path. On the one hand, these are worldly pleasures, such as women, delicacies, jewelry, music or driving a car and more. Religious obstacles include memorizing holy scriptures, worshiping gods, fasting, asceticism, penance or the longing for redemption. Certain errors purporting to receive immediate salvation are also mentioned.

Then the four types of students are described. A lazy and bad student can be quite successful with mantra yoga, layayoga is suitable for mediocre, pleasant students, interested and independent students should practice hatha yoga and the enthusiastic student is suitable for all yoga paths.

Then some practical exercises are described, the Raja Yoga and the seven chakras . The Shivasamhita ends with the remark that a father who practices secret yoga and is not attached to his family will also be successful.

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