The Nervous System in Yoga and Tantra (Study)
by Ashok Majumdar | 1981 | 72,079 words
This study deals with the presentation of the Nervous System in Yoga, Tantra and Ayurveda. Yoga and Ayurveda are allied sciences dealing with science of man in depth. Whereas Yoga and Tantra are the rich sources for the knowledge of nervous system and its biological and metaphysical aspects. This study has revealed a number of hither to unknown fac...
2.1. Description of Hatha-yoga
Hatha-yoga prepares a person for Raja-yoga proceeding along which one attains the highest goal. The word Hatha is made up of two Sanskrit roots, ha being translated as the 'Sun' and tha as the 'moon'. If we now add to this the word yoga which means 'to join', we have literally in Hathayoga, the yoga which joins together the sun and the moon. According to Hatha-yoga texts, in the right and left nostrits, begin the two nadis called ida and pingala. Breath taken through the right nostril is called the 'Sun breath', whilst a similar taken through the left nostril is called 'moon breath'. During pranayama, two nadis get stimulated and the union of the two breaths takes place at ajna, the important chakra between the eyebrows (Jaggi, 1973, p.15). The principal classical texts on Hatha-yoga are Gheranda-Samhita, Siva-Samhita and Hatha-yoga-pradpika.All of them give precise details of asanas, pranayama etc. and benefits accuring from them. Hatha-yoga entirely deals with the physical body. Its aim being to make the physical body very strong. Its practices are very difficult, and cannot be learnt in a day, and after all, do not lead to much spiritual growth (Vivekanda, 1976, p.20). Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika is one of the important yoga texts dealing mainly with Hatha-yoga. This book was composed around 15th century by Svatmarama. It does not consider Hatha-
11 and Raja-yoga as different desciplines, independent of each other. Performances that book forward to the mental training and spiritual experiences culminating in realization of the Supreme Reality are neither Hatha-yoga nor Raja-yoga, they are frutless efforts. Hatha-yoga-Pradipika was an source of inspiration to many later writer on Hatha-yoga. These pra treatises are Hatha-tattva-Kaumudi, Hatha-Ratnavali, HathaSanketa-Chandrika, Yoga-Cintamani etc. The book Hatha-yogapradipika and the texts in most manuscripts consists of four chapters: asana, pranayama, Mudra and Nadanusandhana. There are some manuscripts whose a fifth chapter is added as well (Hatha-pradipika, 1971).