HATHATATVAKAUMUDI

CHAPTER 8

The astakarmas
Dhautikarma

caturangulavistrtam suvastram tithi15bahvardatamam sitam graset tat

guruna kathitena vartmana tam sanakaiscabhiharedasau hi dhauti
One should take a fine white wet cloth measuring 15(cubits) in length and
four fingers in width.
Following the guidelines of guru,one slowly but completly swallow it and then
pull it out.
This is dhauti.

2.

vimsati kaphaya rogah kasasvasau tatha

kusthah pliha yati vinasam dhautikarmaprabhavena
Practice oh dhautikarma removes twenty types og phlegmatic disorders
,cough,asthma,skin diseases and spleen (pliha) disorders.

Cakrikarma
3.
payuvaktram prasaryantarangulyau bhramayedabhi

yavadgudavikasah syaccakrikarma nigadyate

Open the anus and insert (the finger)and rotate it all around so long as the
anus fully open.This is cakrikarma
4.
mulavyadhigulmarogo nasyatyatrana samsayah
malasuddhirddipanam ca jayate cakrikarmani
cakrikarma overcomes piles,spleen disorders,removes the impurities and
enhances the(gastric)fire in which there is not doubt.

Vastikarma

5.
nabhidaghne jale payuvinyastasannalamargatsamakrsya cordhvam samam
utkatam samsthito panasankocanam
canukuryat bhavet ksalanam vasti tat
One adopt utkatasana in navel deep water.After inserting tube in the anus to
raise the apanavayu upwards.This cleansing practice is vastikarma which
cleanses the vasti(big-instentines)
6.

dhatwindriyantahkaranaprasadam
gulmodaraplihamalapaharam
kantyagnikrt sarvagadan nihanyadabhyasyamanam jalabastikarma
The practice of jalavasti streamlines the body constituents ,ring poise to the
internal sense organs,offers brightness,stimulates digestion and completely
removes the chronic disorders of the spleen and abdomen.

NetiKarma

7.

mrdumanjuvitastisutraantastanu-nasasamanala aviddadhyat
mukhanirgmanadasau hi dhauti
mukharogan nasyati bhalosodhini ca
Insert a smooth sheaf of cotton ,measuring (approximately ) 23 cms.in length
,in the nose and pull it out through the mouth.This is dhauti which cures the
disorders of the mouth and shines the forehead.
Gajakarani

8.

udaragatapadarthanudvavamadeva nityam
pavanagamanamargat kanthanalapravesat
kramaparicayavasyam syacca gargadayo hi
gajakaranamitiha prahurarya munindrah

One regulary vomits out with great force the contents of the stomach by
stimulating and raising the apanavayu by inserting stalk of castor leaf in the
throat.This is mastered through gradual practice.The great munis like garga
etc. call this gajakarani.

9.
pavanagamanamargat apanavayurddhvakaranat
urddhvakaranam pavanorddhvakaranena vayvakarsanena

yadbhaksitam vastu tadudvamet kanthanalapravesat va kanthe

nalasya pravesa erandanalapravesastasmat tada kramaparicayah
vastuparicayah syadityarthah

By raising the apana up through the passage the consumed food contents are
vomited.
One may insert a hollow stem of castor plant into the throat.One gets
proficiency gradually in the technique.

Trataka karma

10.

laksyam samahitamatih sthiralocanabhyam

viksyet susuksmamativaspanipatasimatat
tratakam sakalanetragadapahari tandradipatanakaram bhrsam gopyate tat
One gazes at very subtle objects with raft attention till tears roll down.
This is trataka which cures all eye diseases and lethargy.It has been kept very
much a secret.

Nauli karma
idam bahyabhyantarabhedadvidha
This is of two types ,external(bahya) and internal(antar)

tatra bahyam yatha

Here follows the bahyanauli

11.
savyapasavyam laghunabhikavyavartakavgaih krtadoryugah kau
sambhramanam bhuryudarasya sarvato
nauliti yoge kathita hathajnaih
One rapidly rotates the navel region all through left and right while placing
the hands on the knees and bending the head down.This is nauli ,according
to experts of hatha.

mandagnisandipanapacanadisandhayikanandakari sadaiva
asesadosopacayasosaniva
hathakriya sau jayatiha naulih
nauli,which is highly valued kriya of hatha ,stimulates waek
digestion,streamlines gastric fire,bring a deep sense of wellbeing and totally
removes all the disorders caused by imbalances of the three humord(dosas)

antarnauli

idayavarttavegena tatha pingalaya punah

ubhabhyam bhramayedesa hyantara kirttita maya itI

13.

Quick rotation (of the abdomen) like a whirlpool on both sides in the clock
-wise and anti-clock-wise directions is called antara by me.

kapalabhathi

16.

ya lauhakarasya subhastrikeva
susambhramau recakapurakau ca
savyapasavyam parivarttanena nasaputesnastu kapalbhathi

One imitates the movements of the bellows of a blacksmith and inhales and
inhales rapidly using the left and rights nostrils changing altrenatively.This is
kapalabhathi

17.

nasaputau angusthanamikabhyam dhrtva

vayumadhordhvam kuryat esa kapalabhathityucyate iti
kaphamarasamalasosinyusmavatapidaghni kapalabhathi
karmastakayastasamastakosthantah sthatibhedah
kaphadosasanghe pranavarodho vihitah
susiddhakevalasadhakasyasramatah sukhena
One plugs the nostrils alternately with ring and thumb fingers and inhales
and exhales.
This is kapalbhati which removes phlegm ,toxins,(ama),disorders in
plasma(rasa),impurities,usmavata(heat in the body,pain.
This is one of the eight karmas (recommended for purification) of the body.
Phlegmatic accumulation obstructs the free flow of prana,hence this is
recommended.A diligent sadhaka can master it well easily.

Hatharatnavali

1.26

The eight karmas are:cakri,nauli,dhauti,neti,basti,gajakarini,trataka and

mastakabharanti.
1.28

The eight karmas are to be kept secret ,as they are effective in cleansing the
body(ghata)The should not be disclosed to anybody,like a noble woman who
would not disclose her sexual pleasures to anybody.This is cakri-karma.

1.29
One should insert the half length of the finger in the anus by opening it and
move the finger round until the anal sphincters are fully relaxed.

1.30

The practice of cakri karma removes the diseases like piles,(enlargment

of)spleen and abdominal disorders ,cleanses the morbidities and stimulates
gastric fire.

1.33
Bhari and antara are the two varieties of nauli.Bhari is external ,while the
antara is internal.

1.34

One rapidly rotates the abdomen to right and left (clockwise) and left to
right(anti-clockwise)while bending down the shoulders .According to the
gauda ,this great practice is nauli.

1.35

This nauli is the crown of all the hatha --kriyas,which stimulates gastric
fire,improves digestion,brings about a deep sense of well-being and
completely removes all the disorders caused by vitiation of the three
humours.

1.36
Quick rotation (of the abdomen) like a whirlpool on both sides,with the
ida(left),followed by pingala(right) is called antara by me.

1.37
1.38

One should slowly swallow a clean weth cloth measuring twenty cubits in
length and four digits in width ,and thereafter pull the same out.This is called
dhauti ,which has to be mastered over day by day.This enhances gastric fire.

1.39
Practice of dhauti undoubtedly removes the diseases like
cough,asthma,spleen(disorders)skin diseases and all the twenty varietes of
phlegmatic disorders.

1.40
A sheaf of smooth cotton thread resembling the tail of a mouse,which is six
vitasti(1 vitasti=12 digits) in length ,is the characteristic of the thread used
for neti.

1.41

Insert it in one of the nostrils and pull it out through the mouth.
By holding the ends of the thread and tying their ends,it should be rotated in
the nasal passage and given friction.
According siddhas this is neti.
1.43

Basti is of two types:vayu -basti and jala-basti.After practising cakri,one must

undertake the practice of basti.
1.44
Filling the abdomen with air ,one should release it through the anal canal.
This is vayu -basati,jala-basti follows.

1.45
1.46

Remain in the naval-deep water,insert finger in the anus by the process of

cakri,fill up the abdomen with water sucked through the anus.After practising
vicitra karani without fear ,expell the water.One should fill up the water to the
capacity,wait for the capacity,wait for sometime before it is expelled.
1.47
After the practice of basti ,one should not eat for three ghatis(1 ghati=24
minutes)Moreover ,he should stay in a place not exposed to draught of air
and consume wholesome and small quantity of food.

1.48

Practice of basti karma certainly removes the diseases like inflammation of

spleen ,abdominal disorder and also the disorders caused by the three
humors of vata,pitta,kapha.

1.49

Practice of jala-basti streamlines the body constituents ,brings about poise to

the internal(sense)organs,offers brightness,stimulates digestive power and
completely alleviates the chronic disorders.

1.51

One vomits the contents of the stomach by stimulating and raising the
apana -vayu upto the throat,through a gradual practice of gaining control
over the passage of the air.The experts of hatha call this gajakarani.
1.52
One should drink water mixed up with jaggery and sesame or coconut water
up to the throat and retain both water and air to the limit.With an objective to
control "pavana",one should thoroughly cleanse the whole tract from stomach
to the throat.This is called guru-gajakarani by the experts of hatha.

1.53
As the leader of the elephants shines among the herd of the
elephants,similary,gajakrini is the foremost among the hatha practices.

1.54

One should constantly gaze at very minute object,remaining one pointed,until

tears roll down.According to the adepts this is trataka.

1.55
This technique removes eye diseases drowsiness and the like.Therefore,it
should be carefully guarded like a casket of jewels.

1.56

One should rapidly inhale and exhale like the bellows of an ironsmmith.This is
the famous kapala-bhastri,which removes all the diseases.

1.57

One moves the head quickly on right and left by inhalation and exalation.This
is kapalabhastri.

1.58

This practice alleviates the phlegmatic and bilious disorders and diseases
caused due to water like(pleurisy etc.).Moreover ,it cleanses the forehead and
brahmsacakra.