7.4 Hatharatnavali & Comparative Study of the Hatha Texts
Key Takeaways
- The YCB Level 3 syllabus (2.17) requires Hatha practices 'according to different Hatha Yogic Texts (Hatha Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita and Hatharatnavali)' — Hatharatnavali is examinable, not optional background.
- Hatharatnavali, composed by Srinivasa (Srinivasabhatta) in the 17th century in four Upadeshas, lists eight shatkarmas and explicitly criticises the Hatha Pradipika for describing only six.
- Hatharatnavali is one of the earliest texts actually to name all 84 asanas (HR 3.7-3.20); it gives working descriptions for 36 of them.
- Structural contrast: HYP has 4 chapters (Chatushpanga, entry at Asana), Gheranda Samhita 7 chapters (Saptanga, entry at Shatkarma), Hatharatnavali 4 Upadeshas, Shiva Samhita 5 Patalas (entry at Vedantic philosophy).
- Nadi counts differ by text: HYP, Gheranda and Hatharatnavali follow the 72,000 figure, while Shiva Samhita (2.13) asserts 350,000 nadis of which 14 are principal.
7.4 Hatharatnavali & Comparative Study of the Hatha Texts
Syllabus item 2.17 does not ask for a general survey of Hatha literature. It names three texts: Hatha Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita and Hatharatnavali. Sections 6.1-6.3 covered the first two. This section covers the third, then places all of them (with the Shiva Samhita as a useful contrast) into a single comparison table of the kind that MCQ writers love.
Hatharatnavali of Srinivasa
The Hatharatnavali ("A String of Pearls of Hatha") was composed in the 17th century by Srinivasa (also cited as Srinivasabhatta or Srinivasa Yogi), a South Indian scholar who tells us in the text itself that he was trained in the Vedas, Vedanta, Tantra and Nyaya before he wrote on Yoga. The work is arranged in four Upadeshas (instructions).
Why the text matters for the exam
- Eight Shatkarmas, not six. Srinivasa lists eight purificatory practices and openly criticises the Hatha Pradipika for describing only six. The two he adds are:
- Chakri: cleansing of the anal region by rotating a finger in the rectum.
- Gajakarani: deliberate regurgitation of stomach contents by drawing up Apana — a practice the Hatha Pradipika mentions (HYP 2.38) but does not count among its six. This is the single most quotable fact about the text: Hatharatnavali = 8 karmas; Hatha Pradipika = 6; Gheranda Samhita = 6.
- The first list of all 84 asanas. Almost every earlier text asserts that Shiva taught 84 asanas without naming them. Hatharatnavali (HR 3.7-3.20) actually names all 84 and provides working descriptions of 36. Names in the list include several Padmasana and Mayurasana variants, Gomukhasana, Bhairavasana, Matsyendrasana, Kurmasana, Kraunchasana, Mandukasana and Yoganidrasana, alongside many names no longer in circulation.
- A critical, comparative voice. Srinivasa does not simply repeat Svatmarama. He argues with him — over the number of karmas, over technique details, and over the relationship of Hatha to Raja Yoga — which makes Hatharatnavali the text examiners reach for when they want a "which text says X?" discriminator.
| Feature | Hatharatnavali position |
|---|---|
| Shatkarmas | 8 (adds Chakri and Gajakarani), with explicit criticism of the six-fold list |
| Asanas | 84 named (HR 3.7-3.20); 36 described |
| Structure | 4 Upadeshas |
| Date & author | 17th century; Srinivasa (Srinivasabhatta), South India |
| Relationship to HYP | Directly comparative and corrective |
Master Comparative Table
| Parameter | Hatha Pradipika (HYP) | Gheranda Samhita | Hatharatnavali | Shiva Samhita |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Author / Attribution | Yogi Svatmarama | Sage Gheranda (to Chanda Kapali) | Srinivasa (Srinivasabhatta) | Spoken by Shiva to the Goddess |
| Approximate date | 15th century CE | Late 17th century CE | 17th century CE | c. 15th-17th century CE |
| Structural framework | 4 chapters (Chatushpanga) | 7 chapters (Saptanga) | 4 Upadeshas | 5 Patalas |
| System name | Hatha Yoga (ladder to Raja Yoga) | Ghatastha Yoga | Hatha Yoga (comparative treatment) | Tantric Hatha / Raja Yoga |
| Entry point | Asana (Ch. 1) | Shatkarma (Ch. 1) | Discussion of Hatha itself, then Shatkarma | Vedantic philosophy (Patala 1) |
| Shatkarmas | 6, prescribed only for excess Meda/Kapha (HYP 2.21) | 6, mandatory first limb | 8 | Not prescribed as a limb |
| Asanas | 84 claimed; 15 described; 4 principal | 84 important; 32 described | 84 named, 36 described | 84 mentioned; 4 described |
| Mudras | 10 | 25 (incl. 5 Pancha Dharana) | Mudras treated in Upadesha 3 | 10 |
| Nadi count | 72,000 | 72,000 | 72,000 | 350,000 (14 principal) |
Comparative Analysis by Theme
1. Sequence of initiation
- HYP: begins with Asana. Shatkarma appears only in Chapter 2, and HYP 2.21 restricts it to those with excess fat (Meda) or phlegm (Kapha).
- Gheranda Samhita: begins with Shatkarma. Cleansing is the first of the seven limbs and is treated as non-negotiable — the unbaked clay pot (Ghata) must be fired before it can hold anything.
- Hatharatnavali: sides with the cleansing-first camp and expands the list to eight.
- Shiva Samhita: begins with Advaita philosophy, on the argument that technique without non-dual knowledge simply produces attachment to the body.
2. Yamas and Niyamas
The verses listing ten Yamas and ten Niyamas appear in Hatha Pradipika Chapter 1 (HYP 1.17-1.18 in the editions that carry them; several critical editions treat them as later insertions and omit them). Where they are printed, the ten Yamas are Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, Kshama, Dhriti, Daya, Arjava, Mitahara and Shaucha; the ten Niyamas are Tapa, Santosha, Astikya, Dana, Ishvarapujana, Siddhanta-vakya-shravana, Hri, Mati, Japa and Huta/Vrata. Gheranda Samhita does not list them as limbs at all. Do not confuse this ten-fold list with Patanjali's five Yamas and five Niyamas (PYS 2.30, 2.32) — a classic exam trap.
3. Subtle anatomy
- Shiva Samhita (2.13) gives the largest count: 350,000 nadis, of which 14 are principal — Ida, Pingala, Sushumna, Gandhari, Hastijihva, Kuhu, Sarasvati, Pusha, Shankhini, Payasvini, Varuni, Alambusha, Vishvodara and Yashasvini.
- HYP, Gheranda Samhita and Hatharatnavali all work with the standard 72,000 figure.
- All four converge on the same three channels of practical importance: Ida (lunar, left, cooling), Pingala (solar, right, heating) and Sushumna (central, the path of Kundalini).
Note on the Yoga Vasishtha. Do not confuse the Vasistha Samhita (a medieval Hatha manual of the Yoga-Kanda type) with the Yoga Vasishtha, the large Advaitic dialogue between Sage Vasishtha and Rama that syllabus item 2.6 covers separately. They are different works with different subject matter; only the Yoga Vasishtha is named in the YCB Level 3 syllabus.
Summary of Key Exam Points
- Syllabus 2.17 names exactly three texts: Hatha Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita, Hatharatnavali.
- Hatharatnavali: Srinivasa, 17th century, 4 Upadeshas, 8 shatkarmas (adds Chakri and Gajakarani), 84 asanas named / 36 described.
- Shatkarma counts: HYP 6 (conditional), Gheranda 6 (mandatory first limb), Hatharatnavali 8.
- Asana counts: HYP 15 described (4 principal, Siddhasana chief), Gheranda 32, Hatharatnavali 36 described of 84 named, Shiva Samhita 4.
- Nadi counts: 72,000 in HYP/Gheranda/Hatharatnavali; 350,000 with 14 principal in Shiva Samhita.
How many Shatkarmas does the Hatharatnavali describe, and how does it treat the Hatha Pradipika's list?
Which classical Hatha text is credited with being one of the earliest actually to name all 84 asanas rather than merely asserting that 84 exist?
A question asks which text asserts 350,000 nadis with 14 principal channels. Which is correct?
How do the Hatha Pradipika and the Gheranda Samhita differ on when Shatkarma should be practised?