Sacred Sanskrit Words From Yoga Practice and Reading
Posted by Kai Blue in Yoga and Sanskrit on 26-07-2010
One of the ways I have made a commitment to understanding yoga better is through learning a bit about Sanskrit. I am making the effort to learn to pronounce correctly some keys words and phrases associated with asana practice and to learn the meanings of at least a few sacred Sanskrit words that come up often in the books I read on yoga. This month I’ve pick a few of those sacred Sanskrit words to learn, understand and focus on. Here they are:
Sakti (Shakti) – This word describes the “divine cosmic energy,” “comic power,” “force/potency/capacity of the universe.” Sakti is the energy of the cosmos that maintains the universe and also makes it disintegrate. It is the name for the dynamic forces of the entire universe. This energy is believed to lie dormant in each of us at the base of the spine, waiting to be awakened. Simple definition: power.
Namaste – The literal meaning is “honor/obeisance” (namas) to you (te). Also translated as literally meaning “not mine, but Thine – Yours, the Divine.” This phrase is variously translated as “The Divine in me recognizes the Divine in you.” This is the traditional everyday greeting in India and is often used in yoga class to begin or complete the practice, offering one’s soul to the Divine.
Prana – This means “breath,” “vital air,” “breath of life,’ “life force,” “vitality.” Although it is commonly thought of as the external air we breathe through the nose and mouth, it also refers to the internal life-force energy in the individual. That the breath is so closely linked in yoga to the life-force is not to surprising. Breath is the one thing that human beings cannot live without for any length of time. Simple definition: life-force energy.
Purusa (Purusha) – “Spirit,” “individual soul,” “seer,” “indwelling form of God,” “individual soul.” Purusa has also been literally translated as “what lies in the citadel of the body.” The word means “absolute spirit” or pure consciousness, independent of everything. It is eternal, changeless and pure. Simple definition: source of consciousness, perceiver.
Next month there will be a few more Sanskrit words to focus on and who knows – in five years I might be pretty good at this!
Information from above came from:
Simple but great book explaining sacred Sanskri words is Sacred Sanskrit Words: For Yoga, Chant, and Meditation
All around excellent yoga book that can be read over and over The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice
After almost a year of yoga classes I have heard all of the common beginning yoga poses said in Sanskrit many, many times. I must admit however, that I have not put much effort into learning the actual pronunciation nor associating the word with the actual posture. I kind of took the easy way out by looking to my left and right to see what others were doing when an asana name was said in Sanskrit while, at the same time, hoping the teacher would also say the English name. This has worked really well. I don’t seem to have many problems following the class and slowly many of the names have become familiar to me just from repetition. In a year I am sure my understanding and ability to say yoga terms in Sanskrit will double or even triple. And who knows where my understanding would be in five years! But that was just my thought a few months ago when I made a long term goal to visit India to study yoga. So, I decided to put a little effort into learning some basic yoga Sanskrit terms. Last month I focused on the Sanskrit words for the Eight Limbs of Yoga. This month I decided to begin focusing on some of the common asana names. Here are my words for this month.
will teach you how to read, write and pronounce 200 asana names and over 300 Sanskrit terms relating to yoga. By the same author
Learning a new language seems to be a bit tough for me. I spent over four years in Latin America and it took me a good three years to become fluent in Spanish. While there I was also immersed in several indigenous languages but only managed to learn to communicate basic needs and ideas. Next stop – Big Island, Hawaii where the Hawaiian language and Pidgin are woven into most conversations. I’m starting to pick it up bits and pieces but with the confused looks on some people’s faces at times when I do use a word or phrase I get the idea that I’ve said something way off or, most likely, completely unintelligible. Oh well, at least I’m trying.
