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Nina's Tips for Learning Sanskrit Pose Names, Part 2

Nina's Tips for Learning Sanskrit Pose Names, Part 2 Nina Zolotow Nina

Although I didn’t explain this yet, you may have already realized from part 1 that many pose names are compound terms made up of two or more common Sanskrit words, for example, Baddha Konasana for Bound Angle pose. And many of these contain one or more words that refers to a part of the body, for example, Urdhva Baddha Hastana for Upward Bound Hands pose. 

So today I thought we look at the some of the most commonly used body parts in the Sanskirt pose names because those appear within pose names quite often. In introduced you to two of these already, but I’ll include them again here for completeness (and also to help them sink in). 

Note: One of the issues that will come up today is why we (that means both us here at YFHA and most of the teachers out there in the English-speaking world) don’t use the literal translations of all the pose names. One of the reasons is because so may poses have similar terms in them that after the names sound really close to each other. I’ll write about this more in the future. 

For now, let’s have a look at the most commonly used body part names. This will be followed by a challenge to see if you can translate a pose name yourself. 

SANSKRIT BODY PARTS 

(I borrowed several photos from http://ift.tt/2tbUi1i.)

Hasta/Hand: We had some examples of other pose names with hand in them last week. Another example of “hasta” in a common pose name is “Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana,” which means “Extended Hand to Big Toe pose.”

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana

Pada/Foot: We had some examples of other pose names with foot in them last week. And remember, adding “eka” on to “pada” means “one foot. A new example of this Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana (Upward Widespread One Foot pose aka Standing Splits). 

Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana

Padangustha/Big Toe: We just saw this word in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana, which means “Extended Hand to Big Toe pose.” Of course we also see it commonly in Supta Padangusthasa, which actually means Supine Big Toe pose. (Why we don’t call it that has to do with the fact that most people can’t actually hold their big toes in this pose—even this guy—so we use a strap.)

Supta Padangusthasana

The simplest big toe pose name is Padangusthasa (the standing forward bend where you hold your big toes). 

Padangusthasana

Parsva/Side of the Body or Flank: Some common examples where we see this word include Parsvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch pose aka Pyramind pose), Utthita Parsvokonasana (Extended Side Angle pose—you are extending the side of your body), and Parsvasana (Standing Side Stretch aka Crescent Moon pose).

Utthita Parsvokanasana

This is also used to mean the sideways version of a pose. There are many examples, but two are Parsva Upavista Konasana (Sideways Seated Angle pose) and Parsva Bakasana (Sideways Crane pose).

Parsva Upavista Konasana

Paschima/Back of the Body: This also means the west-facing side of the body (where the sun sets). Examples include Paschimottanasana (Intense Stretch of the Back Body) and Paschim Namaskarasana (Reverse Namaste or Namaste on the Back Body). 

Paschimottanasana

Purva/Front of the Body: This also means the east-facing side of the body (where the sun rises). For now, the only example I have is Purvottanasana (Intense Stretch of the Front body aka Upward Plank pose). 

Purvottanasana

Mukha/Face: Usually we see this word with the modifiers upward or downward, but Gomukhasana it means “cow face” because “go” is “cow” and “mukha is “face.” See the cow face? (Try thinking of the legs as the saggy neck skin.)

Gomukasana

Here are some other common poses that contain “mukha”: 

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog pose), (Downward-Facing Tree pose—Handstand), and Adho Mukha Virasana (Downward-Facing Hero pose—Forward Bend version of Hero pose).

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Urdva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog pose), Urdva Mukha Paschimottanasa (Upward-Facing Intense Stretch of the Back Body pose), Urdva Mukha Uttanasana (Upward-Facing Intense Stretch pose).

Urdva Mukha Svanasana

Janu/Knee: Examples include Janu Sirsasana, which is either translated as “Head to Knee pose” or “Head of the Knee pose.” (Head to Knee because you bring your head to the knee of your straight leg, but Head of Knee because in the classic pose you roll your bent leg onto the "head" of the knee. Confusing, I know—and I'm not going to take sides on this one. )

Janu Sirsasana

We also see it in the variations of Janu Sirsanana, including Parivritta (Revolved) Janu Sirsansana 1, 2, and 3, and in the pose name Dandayamana Janusirasana, which is the standing version of a one-legged “head to knee” forward bend. 

Sirsa/Head: We see this word commonly, of course, in Sirsasana (Headstand) and in its many variations, such as Eka Pada Sirsasana (hope you can guess what that means by now). We also see it in Janu Sirsasana, which we described above. 

Sirsana

Jathara/Abdomen or Belly: We see this most commonly in Jathara Parivartanasana (Abdomen Revolving pose or Belly Turning pose) and Jathara Parivartanasana Swastikasana (Abdomen Revolving pose with Swastikasana Legs). 

Jathara Parivartasana

NOW, ARE YOU READY FOR A CHALLENGE? 

I found this weird pose name that I never heard before, but I think I can figure out what it means just from the words. Maybe you can, too. 

Jathara Urdhva Mukha Pashchimottanasana 

Using Google before you try to translate it yourself is cheating! But after you come up with something—even just a partial translation using today’s post—you can click here here to find the correct answer and a picture of the pose. 

The funny thing is that after I translated the name (I was correct) I still didn’t know what pose it was. But after I looked up an image of the pose, I discovered that I had actually done the pose before, both in class with Donald Moyer and at home, but I just didn’t know the name. Lately, I’ve found it’s a nice way to stretch your lower back without the strain of a seated forward bend. 

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