History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c92.282

v7.c92.282

Some of the works on Yoga describe various mudrās. For example, the Haṭhayogapradīpikā (III. 6-23) describes at length ten mudrās and the Gheraṇḍasaṁhitā (III. 1-3) speaks of 25 mudrās and describes them in one hundred verses. The Śivasaṁhitā (IV. 15-31) mentions ten mudrās as the best. An important mudrā in Haṭhayoga practices is the Khecarīmudrā described in Devībhāgavata XI. 66. 62-65, Śivasaṁhitā IV. 31-33, Gheraṇḍasaṁhitā III. 25-27, Haṭhayogapradīpikā III. 32-53. This description differs from the definition of Khecarī in Jñānārṇava (15. 61-63) and Nityāṣoḍaśikārṇava III. 15-23. The Vajrolīmudrā (in Haṭhayogapradīpikā III. 82-96) cannot be set out here for reasons of decency and it was supposed to prolong the life of a yogin even after indulgence in sexual orgies.