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Who authored the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and in which century was it composed?

The *Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā* is traditionally attributed to the yogic sage Svātmārāma, also rendered as Swami Swatmarama or Svatmarama. This attribution places the text within a living lineage of practice, in which a realized practitioner gathers and systematizes teachings for the benefit of earnest seekers. Rather than presenting itself as an innovation, the work stands as a careful compilation, honoring earlier streams of yogic wisdom while giving them a clear and practical form.

Scholarly consensus situates the composition of the *Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā* in the 15th century CE. This historical placement helps illuminate its role as a bridge between older ascetic traditions and later, more systematized approaches to physical yoga and kundalini-related disciplines. By emerging at that particular moment, the text serves as a crystallization of practices that had long circulated in more scattered or esoteric forms, offering them in a structured and accessible manner.

Understanding Svātmārāma’s authorship and the 15th‑century context invites a deeper appreciation of the text’s character: it is both a culmination and a guide. As a culmination, it gathers diverse strands of hatha yoga into a coherent whole; as a guide, it speaks directly to practitioners seeking a disciplined path toward inner awakening. In this way, the *Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā* stands as a luminous marker in the historical unfolding of yoga, rooted in a specific author and era yet oriented toward timeless spiritual aims.