Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā

A dialogue between the sage Gheraṇḍa and his disciple Caṇḍa Kāpālī. One of the three classic texts of Haṭha Yoga, with emphasis on practical techniques and a system of seven limbs.

What is the Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā?

The Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā is one of the three canonical texts of Haṭha Yoga, along with the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā and the Śiva Saṃhitā. Composed probably in the 17th century in Bengal, it stands out for its eminently practical orientation: it is a manual of techniques rather than a philosophical treatise.

The text takes the form of a dialogue. Caṇḍa Kāpālī (literally "Caṇḍa the skull-bearer," an epithet suggesting a tantric tradition) seeks out the sage Gheraṇḍa and asks for instruction in ghaṭastha yoga, the "yoga of the vessel" — where the body is the vessel (ghaṭa) that contains the Self.

The name Saṃhitā means "collection" or "compilation," indicating that the text compiles teachings from various sources. Unlike the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā, which emphasizes progression toward samādhi, the Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā focuses on the systematic preparation of the body as a spiritual instrument.

Saptāṅga Yoga: The Seven Practices

Gheraṇḍa's system organizes Haṭha Yoga into seven limbs (saptāṅga), each with a specific purpose in the practitioner's transformation:

Ṣaṭkarma

षट्कर्म

Purification (śodhana)

Six cleansing actions: dhauti, basti, neti, trāṭaka, nauli, and kapālabhāti. They eliminate impurities from the body.

Āsana

आसन

Strength (dṛḍhatā)

32 postures that strengthen and stabilize the body. More than any other classical text.

Mudrā

मुद्रा

Stability (sthiratā)

25 energetic seals that stabilize and direct prāṇa. They include bandhas and bodily gestures.

Pratyāhāra

प्रत्याहार

Calm (dhīratā)

Withdrawal of the senses. Five techniques for interiorizing attention.

Prāṇāyāma

प्राणायाम

Lightness (lāghava)

Breath control. Ten techniques including sahita, sūrya bhedana, and ujjāyī.

Dhyāna

ध्यान

Direct perception (pratyakṣa)

Three types of meditation: sthūla (gross), jyotis (luminous), and sūkṣma (subtle).

Samādhi

समाधि

Isolation (nirlipta)

Six types of contemplative absorption. The final state of union.

This structure differs from Patañjali's aṣṭāṅga (eight limbs). Gheraṇḍa omits yama and niyama (ethical restraints and observances) as separate categories, and places pratyāhāra before prāṇāyāma — suggesting that a degree of interiorization precedes advanced breath work.

Structure

The text contains approximately 350 verses (ślokas) organized into seven chapters (upadeśa, "instructions"), one for each practice:

Ṣaṭkarma — The six purifications. Detailed variants of dhauti (internal cleansing), basti (yogic enema), neti (nasal cleansing), trāṭaka (gazing), nauli (abdominal isolation), and kapālabhāti (skull-shining breath).

Āsana — 32 postures described in detail. Includes variants not found in other classical texts. Emphasis on seated āsanas and those preparatory for meditation.

III

Mudrā — 25 mudrās and bandhas. Techniques for awakening kuṇḍalinī and directing prāṇa. Includes mahāmudrā, mahābandha, khecarī, and other energetic seals.

Pratyāhāra — Five techniques of sensory withdrawal, including yoni mudrā and śāmbhavī mudrā. Preparation for concentration.

Prāṇāyāma — Prerequisites (place, time, diet) and ten types of kumbhaka. Details the effects of each breathing technique.

Dhyāna — Three forms of meditation: gross (visualization of the deity), luminous (contemplation of inner light), and subtle (meditation on kuṇḍalinī and bindu).

VII

Samādhi — Six types of absorption: dhyāna, nāda, rasānanda, laya, bhakti, and rāja samādhi. Culmination of the process.

Distinctive features

The body as vessel (ghaṭa)

The text's central metaphor is the body as ghaṭa (vessel or container). The yogi must purify, strengthen, and refine this vessel so that it can hold the experience of the Self. Practice is like the potter's work: raw clay is transformed into a useful vessel through a systematic process.

Emphasis on purification

No other classical text details the purifications (ṣaṭkarma) with such meticulousness. Gheraṇḍa describes variants of each technique: for example, four types of dhauti (internal, dental, cardiac, and rectal) with their subdivisions.

Extensive catalogue of āsanas

With 32 postures, the Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā describes more āsanas than the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā (15) or the Śiva Saṃhitā (4). It includes postures that would later become fundamental in modern yoga: mayūrāsana, śavāsana, vīrāsana, dhanurāsana.

Practical orientation

The text is notably direct. Little philosophy, many instructions. Each technique comes with specific benefits and, sometimes, warnings. It is a manual for practitioners, not a treatise for scholars.

Why we include this text

The Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā offers a complementary perspective to the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā. Where the Pradīpikā emphasizes progression toward samādhi, the Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā details the preparation of the body. Together, they offer a more complete vision of traditional Haṭha Yoga.

Its emphasis on purifications and the systematization of the process is especially relevant for understanding the roots of practices that today are considered "advanced" or even esoteric. The text reminds us that classical yoga was an integral system of physical and energetic transformation.