Śivasaṃhitā 2.3

Sun and moon here are not celestial bodies but living principles in constant movement within the subtle body. Śaśi (moon) and bhāskara (sun) correspond to the iḍā and piṅgalā currents — the two fundamental energetic channels of the nāḍī system. Their interplay of creation (sṛṣṭi) and dissolution (saṃhāra) mirrors the cosmic cycle that yoga seeks to transcend by harmonizing both streams.

Etymologically, bhāskara means ‘that which causes to shine,’ while śaśi — ‘bearer of the hare,’ referencing the lunar markings — reveals a cosmology where celestial bodies are understood primarily as luminous qualities. Within the body, solar energy governs digestive fire (agni) and exhalation; lunar energy governs the nectar (amṛta) and inhalation. Haṭhayoga’s breath practices directly manipulate this polarity.

The closing enumeration of four elements — ether, air, water, and earth — completes the cosmological picture, with fire implicitly present through the sun. This elemental inventory within the body underpins the pañcabhūta purification practices found in related texts. Recognizing all five elements as present within oneself transforms the body from a biological object into a complete cosmological instrument.