Śivasaṃhitā 3.112

The Śivasaṃhitā — ‘The Collection of Śiva’ or ‘The Compendium of Śiva’ — is one of the three great classical texts of haṭhayoga, alongside the Haṭhapradīpikā and the Gheraṇḍasaṃhitā. Unlike these, it presents itself directly as divine revelation: Śiva himself speaks, without the mediation of a questioning disciple. This structure grants it absolute doctrinal authority within the tradition.

The term saṃhitā derives from sam-dhā (‘to put together’, ‘to compile’), designating an organized collection of teachings. In the Vedic context, the saṃhitā are the oldest hymn collections; applying this term to a haṭhayogic text elevates it to the rank of canonical scripture. Śiva, as the source of yogic knowledge, is the Ādiguru, the first teacher of the tradition.

The dating of the Śivasaṃhitā is debated among scholars: estimates range between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries of the common era. Its content is encyclopedic, encompassing non-dual Vedānta philosophy, subtle anatomy of the nāḍī and cakra, āsana, mudrā, prāṇāyāma, and advanced contemplative states, making it the haṭhayogic text of greatest doctrinal scope.