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Shiva Samhita (IAST: śivasaṃhitā, also Siva Samhita, meaning "Shiva's Compendium") is a Sanskrit text on yoga, written by an unknown author. The text is addressed by the Hindu ascetic Shiva to his consort Parvati. The text consists of five chapters, with the first chapter a treatise that summarizes nondual Vedanta (Advaita Vedanta) philosophy with influences from the Sri Vidya school of South India.[1][2] The remaining chapters discuss yoga, the importance of a guru (teacher) to a student, various asanas, mudras and tantra.[1]
The Shiva Samhita is one of three major surviving classical treatises on hatha yoga, the other two being Gheranda Samhita and Hatha Yoga Pradipika. It is considered the most comprehensive treatise on hatha yoga, one that recommends that all householders practice and benefit from yoga.[3] Over a dozen variant manuscripts of the text are known, and a critical edition of the text was published in 1999 by Kaivalya Dham Yoga Research Institute.[4]
- ^ a b James Mallinson (2007). The Shiva Samhita: A Critical Edition. Yoga Vidya. pp. ix–x. ISBN 978-0-9716466-5-0.
- ^ Ellen Goldberg (2002). The Lord Who Is Half Woman: Ardhanarisvara in Indian and Feminist Perspective. State University of New York Press. pp. 57–59. ISBN 978-0-7914-5326-1.
- ^ Linda Sparrowe. "The History of Yoga". Yoga Journal. Archived from the original on 2007-02-08. Retrieved 2007-02-13.
- ^ James Mallinson (2007). The Shiva Samhita: A Critical Edition. Yoga Vidya. p. xi. ISBN 978-0-9716466-5-0.