Everyone seems to know the word “asana”. Well, the yoga pose. The component part of most names of yoga poses looks like this: “ear head knee buttocks asana”, etc. In Sanskrit everything is written (most often) together. Use the names of body parts, famous characters, plants, animals, gods, or abilities. There are quite ancient names and familiar to us, and there are invention of our time (for example, downward-facing dog.).
The peculiarity of Sanskrit is that one word can have many meanings.
Now in the Russian-Sanskrit dictionaries we can find the following definitions of the word: seat, pose (yoga), stay or residence, place (for sitting or residence), military location or position, waiting (in politics).
In ancient texts, the word “asana” was used in different meanings:
- asana as a type of structure;
- asana as a type of seat (what to sit on), a seat for the king or yoga, i.e. practice;
- asana as a yoga pose, something that the practitioner performs. Also, asana as a special state.
Here is our short bilingual lecture with Alex Vijaya about the mention of the word “asana” in different texts and meanings. I’m in Russian, Alex is in English; we analyze and explain.
Have a nice viewing!