What the description contains
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes a seated arrangement with one leg extended, a heel at the base of the body, the foot held by the hands, and breath regulation. The Gheranda Samhita also combines a seated arrangement, throat action, and directed attention. Mahamudra in these passages is considerably more than a hand gesture.
A related group, not three synonyms
Mahamudra, Mahabandha, and Mahavedha form a closely related group in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and in Sivananda’s account. Their relationship explains why they are often discussed together. Their separate descriptions still matter: a shared group does not make the positions or operations identical.
Read the promise in its own register
The passages give sweeping accounts of freedom from disease and decline. Here those are recognized as the texts’ traditional promises, not offered as clinical outcomes. This page explains the components without turning compression, breath retention, or a forward reach into an unsupervised sequence. Read Mahabandha next to see how the larger group is organized.
Sources and scope
Main edition
Hatha Yoga Pradipika, chapter 3
Passage for this reading
- Hatha Yoga Pradipika, chapter 3
Sanskrit verses 3.10–18.
Svātmārāma; Sanskrit and Pancham Sinh’s 1914 translation. English paragraph numbering sometimes diverges from the Sanskrit verses.
- Gheranda Samhita, James Mallinson (2004)
3.4–6, printed pp. 60–61; SanskritDocuments has 3.4–8.
YogaVidya.com publisher excerpt, introduction and chapter 3, printed pp. 60–71. This is a sample, not the entire book.
- Kundalini Yoga
“Mudras and Bandhas: 4. Maha Mudra”.
Swami Sivananda; Divine Life Society, tenth edition 1994, authorized web edition 1999. Traditional teaching, not clinical evidence.
What this edition covers
An original reference essay comparing the traditional descriptions. It is not a translation of the entire source chapter.
Limits and differences
The prose above identifies material differences. Traditional explanations and promised attainments are attributed to their sources; they are not clinical evidence. Review date: September 11, 2026.