INTRODUCTION.

anything, be it howsoever difficult. There is nothing which cannot be accomplished by practice. As Lord Śiva says in the Śiva Samhitâ: An ancient Sanskrit text on Hatha Yoga, presented as a dialogue between the god Shiva and his consort Parvati:

Success is born of practice; through practice, one attains liberation.

Perfect consciousness is gained through practice; Yoga is set in motion through practice. Success in the Mudrâs: Symbolic gestures or energetic seals comes from practice; from practice comes the mastery of the breath. Through practice, one cheats time, and thus becomes a conqueror of death. The power of speech and the ability to wander at will arise from the Yoga of practice. original: "Abhyâsâjjâyate siddhirabhyâsânmokṣamâpnuyât. Samvidalabhate’bhyâsâ yogo’bhyâsâtpravartate. Mudrâṇāmsiddhirabhyâsâ dabhyâsâdvâyusâdhanam. Kâlavañcanamabhyâsâttathâmṛtyuñjayobhavet. Vâksiddhiḥ kâmacâritvaṃ bhavedabhyâsayogataḥ." — Chapter 4, Verses 9-11

Through practice success is obtained; through practice one gains liberation.

Perfect consciousness is gained through practice; Yoga is attained through practice; success in mudrâs comes by practice. Through practice is gained success in Prânâyâma: The yogic practice of breath control. Death can be evaded of its prey through practice, and man becomes the conqueror of death by practice. And then let us gird up our loins, and with a firm resolution engage in the practice, having faith in the principle that your right is to the work alone, and never to its fruits original: "karmaṇyevādhikāraste mā phaleṣu kadācana"—a famous verse from the Bhagavad Gita (2.47) emphasizing selfless action, and the success must be ours. May the Almighty Father be pleased to shower His blessings on those who thus engage in the performance of their duties. Om Peace. original: "Om Śam"