Śivasaṃhitā 3.114

The verse introduces the ideal practitioner with the term sudhīḥ—one of refined intelligence—and prescribes practice pratyahaṃ, that is, every single day without exception. The āsana is not presented as an occasional exercise but as a discipline of absolute constancy. The qualifier śreṣṭha (excellent, supreme) elevates this posture above others in the text’s hierarchy.

Sudhī combines the prefix su- (good, excellent) with dhī (intellect, understanding, also associated with the faculty of discernment in Sāṃkhya philosophy). It does not simply designate someone intelligent, but one whose mind is purified and oriented toward the essential. Pratyaham is an avyayībhāva compound meaning literally ‘each day’, underscoring the importance of regularity.

The insistence on daily practice (pratyahaṃ) reflects the pedagogy of haṭhayogic texts: transformation of the subtle body does not occur through sporadic effort but through gradual, consistent accumulation. The Haṭhapradīpikā and Gheraṇḍasaṃhitā share this same logic of disciplined repetition as the vehicle of siddhi.