Mudrā

Gestures and seals that channel prāṇa. From hand mudrās to the bodily seals of Haṭha Yoga, and their role in awakening.

88 verses · 5 texts

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Śivasaṃhitā 38

  1. ŚS 4.1First with a strong inspiration fix the mind in the adhar lotus. Then engage in contracting the Yoni, which is situated in the perineal space.
  2. ŚS 4.3(Then imagine that) – There go up through the sushumna vessel, three bodies in their due order (i.e., the etheric, the astral and the mental bodies). There is emitted in every chakra the nectar, the characteristic of which is great bliss. Its colour is whitish rosey (pink), full of splendor, showering down in jets the immortal fluid. Let him drink this wine of immortality which is divine, and then again enter the Kula (i.e., perineal space.) Note. While these subtle bodies go up, they drink at every stage this nectar, called Kulamrita.
  3. ŚS 4.4Then let him go again to the Kula through the practice of mantrayoga (i.e., pranayama). This Yoni has been called by me in the Tantras as equal to life.
  4. ŚS 4.5Again let him be absorbed in that Yoni, where dwells the fire of death – the nature of Shiva, &c. Thus has been described by me the method of practicing the great Yoni-mudra. From success in its practice, there is nothing which cannot be accomplished.
  5. ŚS 4.7He who practices Yoni-Mudra is not polluted by sin, were he to murder a thousand Brahmanas or kill all the inhabitants of the three worlds—
  6. ŚS 4.9Therefore, those who wish for emancipation should practice this daily. Through practice (abhyasa), success is obtained; through practice one gains liberation.
  7. ŚS 4.10Perfect consciousness is gained through practice. Yoga is attained through practice; success in Mudra comes by practice; through practice is gained success in pranayama. Death can be cheated of its prey through practice, and man becomes the conqueror of death by practice.
  8. ŚS 4.100Este es el secreto más secreto de todos los secretos, que nunca ha existido antes ni existirá en el futuro.
  9. ŚS 4.101Quien, en el momento de orinar, atrae hacia arriba el flujo con fuerza mediante el aire...
  10. ŚS 4.102Aquel que cada día practica siguiendo el camino enseñado por el guru...
  11. ŚS 4.106Aquel que practica así el śakticālana cada día...
  12. ŚS 4.108Śivasaṃhitā — La Compendio de Śiva
  13. ŚS 4.109Para aquel que practica siguiendo las instrucciones del maestro, ¿de dónde podría surgir el temor a la muerte?
  14. ŚS 4.110Para quien la practica con esfuerzo y dedicación, el logro no está lejos.
  15. ŚS 4.12Now I shall tell you the best means of attaining success in Yoga. The practitioners should keep it secret. It is the most inaccessible Yoga.
  16. ŚS 4.13When the sleeping goddess Kundalini is awakened, through the grace of Guru, when all the lotuses and the bonds are readily pierced through and through.
  17. ŚS 4.14Therefore, in order that the goddess, who is asleep in the mouth of the Brahmarandhra (the innermost hollow of sushumna) be awakened, the mudras should be practiced with the greatest care. The Siva Samhita – Chapter IV 15. Out of the many mudras, the following ten are the best: (1) Mahamudra, (2) Mahabandha, (3) Mahavedha, (4) Khechari, (5) Jalandhar, (6) Mulabandha, (7) Viparitkarana, (8) Uddana, (9) Vajrondi, and (10) Shaktichalana.
  18. ŚS 4.15Aunque hubiera cometido miles de brahmanicidios y hubiera destruido incluso los tres mundos...
  19. ŚS 4.18In this way, even the most unfortunate Yogi might obtain success. By this means all the vessels of the body are roused and stirred into activity; the life is increased and its decay is checked, and all sins are destroyed. All diseases are healed, and the gastric fire is increased. It gives faultless beauty to the body, and destroys decay and death. All fruits of desire and pleasure are obtained, and the senses are conquered. The Yogi fixed in meditation acquires all the above-mentioned things, through practice. There should be no hesitation in doing so.
  20. ŚS 4.20This Mudra, described by me, is the giver of all desires to the practitioner; it should be practiced in secrecy, and ought never to be given to everybody. (2) Maha-Bandha.
  21. ŚS 4.29Dirigiendo la mente por el camino de la mente, se logra el dominio del prāṇa.
  22. ŚS 4.32O, my beloved! know this to be the source of all success, always practicing it let him drink the ambrosia daily. By this he obtains vigraha-siddhi (power over the microcosm), even as a lion over the elephant of death.
  23. ŚS 4.34The desired fruit, happiness, mastery of the senses — all these belong to the yogi established in yoga.
  24. ŚS 4.35This mudra, O thou worshipped by the gods, must be carefully kept secret.
  25. ŚS 4.37Exposition of the Mahābandha.
  26. ŚS 4.38Contracting the anus and perineum, make the apāna move upward.
  27. ŚS 4.44The bull among yogis, having pierced with this vedha and with vāyu, should practice this bandha in secret, in a solitary place, if he desires to cross the ocean of the world.
  28. ŚS 4.81At first, the wise one should introduce into his own body, with effort and according to proper method, the fluid from the woman's womb; retaining his own bindu, let him practice copulation. These are the ten mudrās whose equal never was nor shall be; through the practice of any one of them, one becomes a siddha.
  29. ŚS 4.82Having retained one's own bindu, the yogi should practice the movement of the liṅga; one who always practices Vajrolī with great care obtains all siddhis while enjoying all the innumerable pleasures of the world.
  30. ŚS 4.83Even by the left path (vāmamārga), having conducted the bindu, let him restrain the liṅga; let him practice this always for quick success in yoga.
  31. ŚS 4.84According to the Guru's instruction, the yogi should forcibly draw the fluid from the womb, intoning the sound huṃ-huṃkāra through the contraction of apāna; let the yogi desirous of success in yoga drink milk or nectar in this way.
  32. ŚS 4.85With this method the yogi [acts] for the quick attainment of success in yoga; one who always practices this best Shakti-chālana according to the Guru's instructions obtains vigraha-siddhi, which confers the powers of aṇimā and others, and has no fear of death.
  33. ŚS 4.87I am the bindu, rajas is Śakti; when both unite, the yogi attains the state of success and his body becomes divine and resplendent.
  34. ŚS 4.93Through practice, a man immersed in pleasures attains success; enjoying all pleasures in their entirety certainly through this yoga, the complete perfection of yogis arrives without doubt.
  35. ŚS 4.94Having enjoyed all pleasures without exception, certainly through this yoga, complete perfection definitely arrives for the yogis.
  36. ŚS 4.95Sahajolī and Amarolī are variants of Vajrolī; the difference arises from difference of nomenclature; let the yogi practice them with the greatest care and perseverance.
  37. ŚS 4.96If by fate the bindu moves with impulse and the union of sun and moon takes place, the yogi should absorb this mixture through the tube of the male organ. This is the Amarolī.
  38. ŚS 4.99This yoga has been declared by me out of love for my devotees, O my beloved; it is the most secret of all secrets that ever were or shall be; let the prudent yogi guard it with the greatest possible secrecy.

Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā 35

  1. HYP 1.31There is no āsana like Siddhāsana, no kumbhaka equal, no mudrā like Khecarī, no laya comparable to nāda.
  2. HYP 1.37Firmly pressing the left heel against the perineum and placing the other foot over the generative organ, with the chin firm against the chest, senses controlled, gaze fixed between the eyebrows: this is called Siddhāsana, which opens the door to liberation.
  3. HYP 1.45There is no āsana like Siddhāsana, no kumbhaka like Kevala, no mudrā like Khecarī, no laya like Nāda.
  4. HYP 1.65Āsana, kumbhaka, the practices called mudrā, and the contemplation of nāda: this is the order of practice in Haṭha Yoga.
  5. HYP 2.51Āsana, kumbhaka, the various practices called mudrās, and then absorption in nāda — this is the order of practice in haṭha yoga.
  6. HYP 2.68When the abdomen is full of air, then quickly one should close the nostrils firmly, except with the index and middle fingers.
  7. HYP 2.78Without rāja yoga, the earth has no value; without rāja yoga, the night is not beautiful; without rāja yoga, even the most elaborate mudrās lack splendor.
  8. HYP 3.5Mahāmudrā, Mahābandha, Mahāvedha, Khecarī, Uḍḍiyāna, Mūlabandha, and the bandha called Jālandhara...
  9. HYP 3.6Viparītakaraṇī, Vajrolī, and Śakticālana — these ten mudrās destroy old age and death.
  10. HYP 3.7Whoever knows Mahāmudrā, Nabhomudrā, Uḍḍīyāna, Jālandhara, and Mūla Bandha — that yogī is worthy of liberation.
  11. HYP 3.8O Pārvatī! The ātman retreats from the lower channel by haṭha; and the prāṇa ascends upward through mudrās and bandhas for liberation.
  12. HYP 3.9Guarded by all the hosts of siddhas, the supreme and great [knowledge] of mudrās — I shall now explain it with care, naming the mudrās.
  13. HYP 3.101Now Amarolī: Discarding the first stream of water for excess pitta, and the last for being useless, the half-fresh stream is taken.In the Kāpālika school, this is called Amarī.
  14. HYP 3.11Pressing the perineum with the left heel and extending the right leg, holding it firmly with both hands.
  15. HYP 3.20Mahābandha, Nabhomudrā, the retention called Uḍḍīyāna, Mātaṅginī, Khecarī and also Mūla Bandha.
  16. HYP 3.21Viparīta Karaṇī, Vajrolī and Śakti Cālana;These are the ten mudras that destroy old age and death.
  17. HYP 3.23It must be stored with effort like a jewel chest;It should not be revealed to anyone, like intimate relations with a woman from a good family.
  18. HYP 3.38Now Khecarī: The tongue inserted backwards into the cavity of the skull, with the gaze fixed between the eyebrows — this is the Khecarī mudrā.
  19. HYP 3.43Turning the tongue backwards, it is inserted into the three paths;This is the Khecarī mudrā, also called Vyomacakra.
  20. HYP 3.63Now Uḍḍīyāna Bandha: Since by this bandha the prāṇa flies upward through suṣumṇā, therefore it is called Uḍḍīyāna by the yogis.
  21. HYP 3.64Since the great bird flies upward without rest, that is why it is called Uḍḍīyāna, and the bandha is described there.
  22. HYP 3.65The abdomen should be pulled back and up above the navel.This Uḍḍīyāna Bandha is the lion killing the elephant of death.
  23. HYP 3.69Now Jālandhara Bandha: Contracting the throat, the chin should be placed firmly on the chest.This bandha called Jālandhara destroys old age and death.
  24. HYP 3.70Contracting the throat and firmly fixing the mind on the heart — this bandha called Jālandhara destroys suffering and affliction.
  25. HYP 3.77Now Viparīta Karaṇī: Whatever perishes in the body, all that is preserved by inversion.The navel above, the palate below;the sun above, the moon below.
  26. HYP 3.82Now Vajrolī: Even if he lives according to his own will, without the restrictions prescribed by yoga, whoever knows Vajrolī, that yogi is worthy of siddhis.
  27. HYP 3.84The upward contraction through the genital organ must be practiced correctly and gradually.Both men and women can achieve Vajrolī siddhi.
  28. HYP 3.90As long as the bindu remains in the body, where does the fear of death come from?As long as Nabho Mudrā is tied, the bindu does not leave.
  29. HYP 3.91Even when the bindu has moved and reached the region of the vagina, it goes upwards, attracted by the śakti, bound by Yoni Mudrā.
  30. HYP 3.98Now Sahajolī: Sahajolī and Amarolī are variants of Vajrolī.Having burned the impurity of water and fallen bindu, it should be practiced without distinction.
  31. HYP 3.99When the mind is fixed in maithuna, due to the special control of the air of both, the rajas of the woman is Sahaja Mudrā, known and elevated also to the man.
  32. HYP 4.28That is the liberating knowledge, that is the mudrā that liberates.Now I will describe the method of meditation that grants all attainments.
  33. HYP 4.34When the prāṇa enters brahmarandhra and the mind always remains there, the knower of mudrā truly understands the mudrā through the word of the guru.
  34. HYP 4.51Sitting on the back of the Meru, engaged in the practice of mudrās, he is truly a rāja yogi;otherwise, it remains inactive.
  35. HYP 4.64Knowing the anāhata sound, cause of all, incomparable origin of sound, blocking the ears and listening to the inner sound, the sage attains the supreme state.

Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā 13

  1. GS 2.69One who practices the āsanas, their mudrās become perfected. For one who practices the mudrās, control of the prāṇas is attained.
  2. GS 3.1Gheraṇḍa said: Now I will speak of the yoga of the mudrās, facilitator of happiness for yogis. The great yogi who practices with them becomes a knower of Brahman.
  3. GS 3.5Thus the mudrās have been described, twenty-five in number. Now listen to the complete glory of all these mudrās.
  4. GS 3.46Viparītakaraṇī mudrā is difficult to attain for all embodied beings. Now I will describe its method; listen, O lotus-faced one.
  5. GS 3.48Viparītakaraṇī mudrā is the destroyer of old age and death. Practiced daily with effort, it grants the divine body.
  6. GS 3.52Vajrolī, Amarolī, and also Sahajolī in truth — these three mudrās together are givers of perfection to the perfected.
  7. GS 3.56Tāḍāgī, Māṇḍukī, and also Śāmbhavī — these mudrās of perfected yogis are givers of perfection to the perfected.
  8. GS 3.57Thus the mudrās have been described, twenty-five in number. Now listen to the complete glory of all these mudrās.
  9. GS 3.58The complete glory of the mudrās is thus the path of yogis. The yogi skilled in the mudrās certainly conquers death.
  10. GS 5.10Ujjāyī is a great mudrā, destroyer of old age and death. Now I will describe its method; listen, O lotus-faced one.
  11. GS 5.12Sītkārī is a great mudrā, destroyer of all diseases. Now I will describe its method; listen, O lotus-faced one.
  12. GS 5.14Śītalī is a great mudrā, destroyer of hunger and thirst. Now I will describe its method; listen, O lotus-faced one.
  13. GS 7.23Ṣaṭkarma, āsana, mudrā, prāṇāyāma, dhyāna, samādhi — these are the steps (pada) of haṭha yoga.

Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali 1

  1. Sūtra 3.30From saṃyama on the throat cavity, hunger and thirst cease.

Gorakṣa Śataka 1

  1. goraksha-shataka 34La lengua, introducida en la cavidad del cráneo (paladar) en dirección inversa, la mirada fija entre las cejas: esta es la mudrā llamada Khecarī.

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