Do Hatha Yoga to Prepare for Raja Yoga

 Hatha Yoga Pradipika Chapter 1 Conclusion

Do Hatha Yoga to Prepare for Raja Yoga

Verse/Sloka 1.67 

"The various types of Kumbhakas (breath retentions), the many Karanas (actions like the Asanas), and other various means of illumination should all be practiced in the Hatha Yoga System until the fruit of Raja Yoga is attained.

In Sanskrit: 

"Pithani Kumbhakas chitra divyani karanani cha Sarvanyapi hathabhyase rajayoga phalavadhi"

Breakdown:

Kumbhaka -- Breath Renetion -- 8 kinds

Chitra -- many ways

Divyani -- Other Divine Means or Light. 

Karana -- actions, like Asana, Pranayama, Purfications, Mudras....

Sarvanap -- different 

Raja Yoga -- Royal Path -- Sutras. 

Phalavat/Phalavaf -- Fruits, profit, advantage 

Commentary

Swami Muktibodhananda says, in his commentary at the end of this First Chapter of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, that this verse reiterates that the purpose of Hatha Yoga is to prepare for Raja Yoga. He goes on to assert that Hatha Yoga is less concerned about the practices of Yama and Niyama than Raja Yoga is.  However, earlier we learned that the Hatha Yoga Pradipika says the greatest Yama and Niyama are a Mithira (a Moderate Way of Eating) and Ahimsa (Do the Opposite of Harming.)

He does highlight that "Until one reaches realization in raja yoga one has not achieved perfection in hatha yoga."

What is Raja Yoga?

Raja Yoga, is the Royal Path, codified by Patanjali. Patanjali is thought to have lived between 500 and 200 B.C.  The Yoga Sutras are much older than the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, circa 13th century

. 

There are 196 Sutras/Threads, aphorisms, or maxims about the practice of Yoga and 4 Books.

The 4 Books are: 

Samadhi pada: Defines yoga

Sadhana pada: Describes the Eight Limb Path of Yoga

Vibhuta pada: Describes and also warns against the temptations of the eight siddhis 

Kaivalya pada: Describes how to live in the world  beyond the influences of the three Gunas
(Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas).  We' ve seen that this is a large part of Hatha Yoga, the balancing of the Gunas.

Often when people think of Raja Yoga or the Yoga of the Yoga Sutras, they think of the 8 Limb path.  

The 8 Limb Path 

1. Yama -- Ways of Living -- (I like this translation over ethics or morals. "Yama (यम, “forbearance”) is a Sanskrit word referring to “respect for others”" 1

• Ahimsa: the opposite of violence. 
• Satya: Be truth. 
• Asteya: the opposite of stealing. 
• Brahmacharya: walking in the way of the divine. 
• Aparigraha: the opposite of hoarding. 

There are more Yama and Niyama in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika in chapter 1.16a. 

"Ahimsa satyam asteyam brahmacharyam kshama dhrtih dayarjavam mitaharah saucham chaiva yama dasa"

There are 10:

1. Non-violence, Ahimsa 
2. truth, satyam 
3. non-stealing, asteyam 
4. continence (being absorbed in a pure state of consciousness),brahmacharyam
5. forgiveness, kshama
6. endurance, dhrtih
7. compassion, daya
8. humility, arjavam
9. moderate/ pleasant diet  mitaharah
10. and cleanliness saucham 

are the ten rules of conduct (yama)

2. Niyama -- Self-care-- Niyama means Niyama (नियम, “religious restraint”) is a Sanskrit word referring to “respect for yourself”.1

Hatha Yoga Pradipika in chapter 1.16b.

 "Tapah santosha astikyam danamisvarapujanam siddhantavakyasravanam hrimati cha tapo hutam niyama dasa samprokta yogasastravisaradaih"

• Saucha: Cleanliness. 
• Santosha: Contentment. 
• Tapas: Self-discipline. 
• Svadhyaya: Self-study. 
• Ishvara pranidhana: Surrender to the Divine. 

In the Hatha Yoga Pradipika it is:

1. Self-discipline, Penance, Austerity, Tapah
2. contentment, santosha 
3. belief (faith) in the Supreme (God), astikyam
4. charity, dana
5. worship of God, isvarapujanam 
6. listening to the recitations of sacred scriptures, siddhantavakyasravanam
7. modesty, hri
8. a discerning intellect, mati 
9. (mantra repetition) japa  [connected to tapo (ascetic)?]
10. and sacrifice -- Hutam 

are the ten observances (niyama) --  These words are also included: Dasa (servant),  Samprokta (well spoken),  Astravisaradaih (Sun's charioteer).

So, which is it? 5 or 10.  The 5 is older and the 10 is later.  According to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Hatha Yoga is in preparation for Raja which only lists the 5.  Perhaps, over time it was seen that people needed more advice on Ways to Live.  At the least, we, and others, could benefit from starting with 5 Yama and Niyama in the Yoga Sutras/Raja Yoga,  remembering the 10 Yama and Niyama are part of the Hatha Yoga system which is presented as the preparation for Raja Yoga.  Which ones speak to you?  Which ones do you already practice?  Which ones can you see would be a benefit to you and others? 

3. Asana

Asana is the physical practice of Yoga. Patanjali only devotes 3 versus to this.  Hatha Yoga delineates 15 poses. We covered these in our recent previous posts. 

4. Pranayama

Breath Expansion.  Often translated as Breath Work. It means Pra+na+ Ayama (Life Force+ the opposite of restraint.  Iyengar defined it as Breath Expansion).  We will cover the Hatha Yoga Pradipika versions of Pranayama soon.  According to Hatha Yoga Pradipika, before Pranayama, Purifications or Shatkarma is practiced if necessary (more of that next)

5. Pratyahara

Pratyahara is the practice of sensory withdrawal.

6. Dharana

Dharana means concentration. 

7. Dhyana

Dhyana is meditation.

8. Samadhi

Samadhi comes through sustained meditation or absorption and is the goal of Yoga.

Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga are meant to go hand in hand, according to Hatha Yoga Pradipika. 

In fact, the very first verse/sloka says

"Salutations to the glorious primal (original) guru, Sri Adinath, who instructed the knowledge of Hatha Yoga which shines forth as a stairway for those who wish to ascend to the Highest stage of Yoga, Raja Yoga."

So, in order to practice the full system of Yoga and attain its benefits, its fruits, we are called to learn both the preparation, the Hatha Yoga of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and have knowledge of the Raja Yoga of the Yoga Sutras.

What benefits have you found in Yoga? What benefits do you seek?

Learn More 

Explore our Online Courses

  Explore  Yoga Meditation 

  Explore Yoga Breathing 

Resources:

1.https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/yama 

 https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/niyama

https://archive.org/details/HathaYogaPradipika-SanskritTextWithEnglishTranslatlionAndNotes/page/n23/mode/2up

https://terebess.hu/english/Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika-Muktibodhananda.pdf