Śivasaṃhitā 3.100

This verse functions as an editorial declaration: from the vast tradition of known āsanas, the text selects a group of four (catuṣka). The narrative voice is Śiva’s own, lending revealed authority to the canon about to be presented. The choice of four postures is not arbitrary; it reflects a hierarchy of efficacy recognised across multiple texts of the Haṭha corpus, privileging depth of practice over breadth.

The term catuṣka («group of four», «quartet») appears in other classical Sanskrit contexts to designate canonical sets. Mayoktāni («as spoken by me», «as I have taught them») reinforces the character of direct revelation: this is not a compilation from diverse sources but the transmission of a primordial teaching. Bravīmi («I declare», «I say») maintains the narrative present, as if the revelation were occurring at the moment of reading.

The selection of four āsanas from the eighty-four thousand mentioned elsewhere — or the thirty-two of the Gheraṇḍasaṃhitā — signals a principle of soteriological economy. Mastery of hundreds of postures is unnecessary; a small number, practised with depth and precision, suffices for liberation. This principle of selective efficiency is a distinguishing mark of the Śivasaṃhitā’s pedagogical approach.