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Goraksha Samhita
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Gratitude
First of all I would like to express my heartfelt salutations to Adinatha (the Primordial Master) and my Guru Swami Satyananda Saraswati for their unwavering inspiration and guidance I have received for my work. I realize that my firm faith and belief in God and Guru is a motivational gift for me in completing this work. I could never have done it without their blessings.
I am always thankful to Ms. Bhawani Uprety for her untiring support she has provided me during my involvement in writing and translating various classical texts on yoga. My due thanks goes to her forever.
On the occasion of the Guru Purnima Day I wish that may God and Guru inspire us to tread the path of yoga in order to achieve the ultimate goal of human life!
- Swami Vishnuswaroop
Introduction
Gorakśa Samhitā is composed by the great Yogī Gorakśanātha. Renowned spiritual masters in the East have highly acknowledged and honored him as a Siddha Yogī for many centuries. His name is mentioned by Svāmi Svātmārāma in his classical text Hatha Yoga Pradipikā (Chapter One, Verses 4 and 5). He is also one of the Masters mentioned in the Purānas and yogic texts. He is well known as Guru Gorakhanātha, and a highly respected, revered and worshipped spiritual master in India and Nepal. The followers of the Nātha Tradition worship him as the incarnation of Lord Śiva, and say that the nine Nāthas and eighty-four Siddhas belong to Adinātha, Lord Śiva. So, he is also called Śiva Gorakśa, the founder of the Natha Siddha tradition.
It is said that Gorakśanātha was an Eighth Century Siddha Yogī. But some say that his physical presence occurred somewhere from the 8th to 11th century. According to the Natha Siddha tradition, Guru Gorakhnātha is an immortal sage and takes care of human beings and their welfare.
Gorkha, a historic district of Nepal, was named after Gorakhanātha, and its inhabitants were called Gorkhāli according to the legend. There is a cave of Guru Gorakhnātha which lies next to the famous Gorakhakāli Temple. Like Gorkha, the district of Gorakhapur in North Bihar of India, was also named after him. There is also a famous temple of Gorakhanātha in Gorakhapur.
It is said that Hatha Yogī Mastsyendranāth was the Guru of Gorakśanātha. Yogī Mastsyendranāth received Yoga Vidyā (knowledge/wisdom) directly from the mouth of Lord Śiva through Parvati. It was Guru Gorakśanātha who summarized the yogic subject matter in two hundred verses, which he had received from his Guru Mastsyendranāth, based on the teachings of Śri Ādinātha (Lord Śiva). This summarized text by Gorakśanātha is called Gorakśa Samhitā (compendium) which is also known as Gorakśa Paddhati: Yogic Path of Guru Gorakhanātha.
Gorakśa Samhitā highly emphasizes the purification of the body, prāna and the mind. It is believed that total purification of all impurities on both the physical and prānic levels is absolutely necessary in order to purify the mind. When these impurities are eliminated from the body and the energy blocks are removed, then the foundation for the awakening of the Śakti is prepared.
Therefore, Guru Gorakhanātha in Gorakśa Samhitā clearly outlines the various aspects of the Hatha Yoga practices e.g. āsana, prānāyāma, mudrā, bandha and dhyāna, etc., which serve as a solid foundation for the preparation and practice of Raja Yoga. Originally, the science of Hatha Yoga was discovered for the expansion and evolution of human consciousness, and for the accomplishment of the ultimate goal of human life, mokśa (liberation) through samādhi (the super conscious state).
According to Gorakśa Samhitā, the objective of Hatha Yoga is to create a harmonious balance between the physical body, prāna (the vital energy) and the mind. It is said that when the impulses generated by this harmonious balance stimulate the awakening of the Kuṇḍalī Śakti, only then is the evolution of consciousness or union between Śiva and Śakti possible. This accomplishment is the sole objective of the teaching of Gorakśa Samhitā by Guru Gorakśanātha.
It should be noted that the original Sanskrit Text is in Devanagari along with its Roman transliteration. All the Sanskrit words/phrases that appear in the English translation are given in the transliterated Roman alphabets.
It is hoped that this compilation will be helpful to all yoga lovers, yoga sādhakas, yoga teachers and yoga professionals to understand the traditional yoga, its objective and practice for the human welfare.
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