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    Gheranda Samhita
    Gheranda Samhita
    Gheranda Samhita
    Ebook94 pages1 hour

    Gheranda Samhita

    By Swami Vishnuswaroop

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    It is said that Gheraṇḍa Samhitā was composed in the Seventeenth Century by Sage Gheraṇḍa. Not so much is known regarding his time and place of birth. His system of yoga is called 'Saptāṅga Yoga' i.e. the yoga of seven limbs or parts. We know 'Aṣṭāṅga Yoga' (i.e. the eight limbs of yoga) by Sage Patañjali and 'Ṣaḍāṅga Yoga' (i.e. the six limbs of yoga) by Guru Gorakhanāth. All these systems of yoga with their specific limbs/parts are equally respected and followed in the yogic tradition.

    The first aspect of yogic practice described in Gheraṇḍa Samhitā is ṣaṭkarma, the six yogic cleansing practices. Their practice is important to get rid of diseases from the body and purify it properly. The second aspect of yogic practice discussed is the āsana. The importance of āsana practice is that they help create firmness and stability in the body. The third aspect of practice described is the mudrā which is used to control the flow of prāṇa and retain and circulate it within the body. The fourth aspect of practice he talked is pratyāhāra.

    According to Sage Gheraṇḍa, when body is purified through ṣaṭkarma, it is made firm and stable by āsana and prāṇa is controlled and retained by mudrā, then one can naturally do the practice of pratyāhāra. The fifth aspect of practice he taught is prānāyāma. In most of the prānāyāma practices he included mantras with them. Practice of pranayama with specific mantras creates direct impact on energy field within the body and mind through the vibrations of the mantras which eventually contribute for the expansion of awareness. 

    The sixth aspect of discourse in Gheraṇḍa Samhitā is dhyāna. The state of dhyāna arises naturally when the body is pure, firm and stable, prāṇa is controlled and the mind is withdrawn within itself. It describes three types of dhyāna for developing awareness and one-pointedness of the mind. The seventh and final aspect described in Gheraṇḍa Samhitā is samādhi. Its achievement is the final goal of yoga.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDivine Yoga Institute, Kathmandu, Nepal
    Release dateNov 27, 2015
    ISBN9781519941121
    Gheranda Samhita
    Author

    Swami Vishnuswaroop

    Swami Vishnuswaroop (Thakur Krishna Uprety), B. A. (Majored in English & Economics), received his Diploma in Yogic Studies (First Class) from Bihar Yoga Bharati, Munger, Bihar, India. He was formally trained under the direct guidance and supervision of Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati in the Guru Kula tradition of the Bihar School of Yoga. He was initiated into the lineage of Swami Satyananda Saraswati, the founder of Bihar School of Yoga and the direct disciple of Swami Sivananda Saraswati of Rishikesh. His guru gave his spiritual name ‘Vishnuswaroop’ while he was initiated into the sannyasa tradition. Swami Vishnuswaroop is a Life Member of World Yoga Council, International Yoga Federation. Divine Yoga Institute has published his nine books on classical yoga, meditation and tantra. He is one of the few yoga practitioners registered with Nepal Health Professional Council established by The Government of Nepal. He has been teaching on the theory and practice of traditional yoga and the yogic way of life to Nepalese and foreign nationals for more than twenty-five years. Swami Vishnuswaroop has designed a comprehensive yoga program called ‘Yoga Passport’ in order to give a broader theoretical and practical knowledge of yoga which includes various aspects of yogic practice. Many health professionals, yoga practitioners and people from various backgrounds of more than forty-seven countries from various parts of the world have gone through his yoga courses and programs. He currently works as the President of Divine Yoga Institute, Kathmandu, Nepal and travels abroad to provide yogic teaching and training.

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      Book preview

      Gheranda Samhita - Swami Vishnuswaroop

      Dedication

      Tasmai Shri Gurave Namah!

      This book is dedicated to my Guru Swami Satyananda Saraswati,

      The Founder of Bihar School of Yoga, Munger, India.

      Introduction

      Gheraṇḍa Samhitā is a classical yogic text. Its author is Sage Gheraṇḍa. The form of yoga he taught in Gheraṇḍa Samhitā is called Ghaṭastha Yoga. Initially, it deals with the body, prāna and the mind through various yogic practices step by step and finally, leads to Ātmajñāna (knowledge of the Self).

      It is said that Gheraṇḍa Samhitā was composed in the Seventeenth Century. But not so much is known about Sage Gheraṇḍa regarding his place of birth. His system of yoga is called ‘Saptāṅga Yoga’ i.e. the yoga of seven limbs or parts. We know ‘Aṣṭāṅga Yoga’ (i.e. the eight limbs of yoga) by Sage Patañjali and ‘Ṣaḍāṅga Yoga’ (i.e. the six limbs of yoga) by Guru Gorakhanātha. All these systems of yoga with their specific limbs/parts are equally respected and followed in the yogic tradition.

      The first aspect of yogic practice described in Gheraṇḍa Samhitā is ṣaṭkarma, the six yogic cleansing practices. Their practice is important to get rid of diseases from the body and purify it properly. The second aspect of yogic practice discussed is the āsana. The importance of āsana practice is that they help create firmness and stability in the body. The third aspect of practice described is the mudrā which is used to control the flow of prāṇa and retain and circulate it within the body. The fourth aspect of practice he talked is pratyāhāra. According to Sage Gheraṇḍa, when body is purified through ṣaṭkarma, it is made firm and stable by āsana and prāṇa is controlled and retained by mudrā, then one can naturally do the practice of pratyāhāra. The fifth aspect of practice he taught is prānāyāma. In most of the prānāyāma practices he included mantras with them. Practice of prānāyāma with specific mantras creates direct impact on energy field within the body and mind through the vibrations of the mantras which eventually contribute for the expansion of awareness. 

      The sixth aspect of discourse in Gheraṇḍa Samhitā is dhyāna. The state of dhyāna arises naturally when the body is pure, firm and stable, prāṇa is controlled and the mind is withdrawn within itself. It describes three types of dhyāna for developing awareness and one-pointedness of the mind. The seventh and final aspect described in Gheraṇḍa Samhitā is samādhi. Its achievement is the final goal of yoga.

      It is very interesting to know that in the second verse of first chapter of Gheraṇḍa Samhitā Caṇḍakapāli expresses his desire to learn Ghaṭastha Yoga which is the cause of tattvajñāna (knowledge of the truth). What is this Ghaṭastha Yoga? It simply means body based yoga (i.e. ghaṭa - body, stha – based, yoga – yoga).

      The two common meanings of the word ‘ghaṭa’ is ‘a body’,  ‘a large vessel or water pot’. It also means the mind, the heart and the soul. A ghaṭa (large vessel or water pot) is composed of five elements, so is the body. In this body as ghaṭa abide prāna (the vital energy), mind (with its four components) and five senses, heart (feeling, emotion, attachment) and an independent Ātmā (the Self which is regarded as the source and support of all beings).

      Therefore, according to Sage Gheraṇḍa Ghaṭastha Yoga begins with the body, creates balance and harmony on the prānic, mental and emotional levels for higher level of awakening and finally, leads to samādhi, the Self-realization which is the ultimate goal of human life.

      Publisher

      Chapter Topics

      Chapter One

      Discourse On Śaṭkarma

      Salutations to Ādīśvara - Body Based Yoga - The Seven Means of Purification - The Six Cleansing Practices - The Internal Cleansing - Vātasāra Dhauti - Vārisāra Dhauti – Agnisāra -Bahiṣkṛta Dhauti – Prakṣālana - Dantadhauti - Jihvā Dhauti - Karṇa Dhauti - Kapālarndhra Dhauti ­- Hṛddhauti – Vamanadhauti - Vāsadhauti – Mūlaśodhana – Vasti - Jala vasti - Sthala Vasti – Neti – Laulikī - Trāṭaka – Kapālabhāti – Vātakrama - Vyutkrama – Śītkrama

      Chapter Two

      Discourse On Āsana

      Kinds of Āsana: 1. Siddhāsana, 2. Padmāsana, 3. Bhadrāsana, 4. Muktāsana, 5. Vajrāsana, 6. Svastikāsana, 7. Simhāsana,  8. Gomukhāsana, 9. Vīrāsana, 10. Dhanurāsana, 11. Mṛtāsana, 12. Guptāsana, 13. Mātsyāsana, 14. Matsyendrāsana, 15. Gorakṣāsana, 16. Paścimottānāsana, 17. Utkaṭāsana, 18. Saṅkaṭāsana, 19. Mayūrāsana, 20. Kukkuṭāsana, 21. Kūrmāsana, 22. Uttāna Kūrmakāsana, 23. Uttāna Maṇḍukāsana, 24. Vṛkṣāsana, 25. Maṇḍukāsana, 26. Garuḍāsana, 27. Vṛṣāsana, 28. Salabhāsana, 29. Makarāsana, 30. Uṣṭrāsana, 31. Bhujaṅgāsana, 32. Yogāsana

      Chapter Three

      Discourse On Mudrā

      Twenty-Five Mudrās: 1. Mahā Mudrā, 2. Nabho Mudra, 3. Uḍḍīyāna Bandha, 4. Jālandhara Bandha, 5. Mūla Bandha, 6. Mahā Bandha, 7. Mahā Bedha Mudrā, 8. Khecarī Mudrā, 9. Viparīta Karani Mudrā, 10. Yoni Mudrā, 11. Vajroṇi Mudrā, 12. Śakti Cālinī Mudra, 13. Tāḍāgī Mudrā, 14. Māṇḍukī Mudrā, 15. Śāmbhavī Mudrā - Pañcadhāraṇās (The Five Concentrations): 16. Pārthivī Dhāraṇā, 17. Āmbhasī Dhāraṇā, 18. Āgneyī Dhāraṇā, 19. Vāyavīya Dhāraṇā, 20. Ākāśī Dhāraṇā, 21. Aśvinī Mudrā, 22. Pāśinī Mudrā, 23. Kākī Mudrā, 24. Mātaṅginī Mudrā 25. Bhujaṅginī Mudrā

      Chapter Four

      Discourse

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