The Shiva Samhita emerges from the late medieval stream of Sanskrit yoga literature, situated within the broader development of Haṭha Yoga and Śaiva-Tantric traditions. Scholars generally place its composition between the 15th and 17th centuries of the common era, with some suggesting it may not be earlier than about the 14th century. Its precise historical origins, including the identity of its human author, remain unknown, and the work is best understood as an anonymous synthesis rather than the product of a single, clearly identifiable figure. The title itself, “Śiva Saṁhitā” or “Compendium of Śiva,” signals a collected teaching rather than an author’s name.

In terms of literary form, the text presents itself as a revelation from Śiva to Pārvatī, following a well-established Sanskrit convention in which sacred knowledge is framed as divine instruction. This dialogical structure situates the work firmly within the Śaiva milieu, while also allowing it to integrate a wide range of yogic and philosophical materials. The setting and style indicate a North Indian context, within a tantric–yogic environment where Haṭha Yoga, mantra, and subtle-body doctrines were being actively systematized and refined.

Historically, the Shiva Samhita belongs to a period when yoga was being articulated as a comprehensive path that unites physical discipline, subtle physiology, and nondual insight. It draws together Haṭha Yoga practices such as āsana, prāṇāyāma, mudrā, and bandha with teachings on nāḍī, cakra, and kuṇḍalinī, while also resonating with Vedāntic-style nondual philosophy. In this way, it reflects a syncretic late-medieval yoga environment, in which earlier yogic and tantric currents were being woven into an integrated vision accessible not only to ascetics but to a broader circle of practitioners seeking both practical methods and a unifying philosophical framework.