🌿 A Beginner’s Guide to Sanskrit in Yoga

1. Why Sanskrit Matters

Sanskrit is the ancient language of yoga, originating in India thousands of years ago. Each word carries deep meaning, describing not just the physical position but also the energy, direction, and intention of the pose. Learning a little Sanskrit helps students connect more deeply with the practice and its lineage. It also makes classes around the world more universal, since the names of poses stay the same no matter the language spoken.

2. Understanding the Building Blocks

Many Sanskrit pose names are compound words – made up of smaller parts that describe what the body is doing and which part of the body is involved. Here are some common terms you’ll see often:

Sanskrit Term	Meaning	Example
Āsana	Posture or seat	Every pose name ends with āsana – e.g. Trikoṇāsana (Triangle Pose)
Adho	Downward	Adho Mukha Śvānāsana – Downward-Facing Dog
Urdhva	Upward	Ūrdhva Mukha Śvānāsana – Upward-Facing Dog
Ardha	Half	Ardha Chandrāsana – Half Moon Pose
Parivrtta	Revolved or twisted	Parivrtta Trikoṇāsana – Revolved Triangle
Utthita	Extended	Utthita Pārśvakoṇāsana – Extended Side Angle
Pādāṅguṣṭha	Big toe	Supta Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana – Reclining Big Toe Pose
Jānu	Knee	Jānu Śīrṣāsana – Head-to-Knee Pose
Pāda	Foot or leg	Utthita Hasta Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana – Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose
Mukha	Face	As in Adho Mukha – “facing down”
Pārśva	Side	Pārśvottānāsana – Intense Side Stretch
Baddha	Bound	Baddha Koṇāsana – Bound Angle Pose
Supta	Reclining	Supta Baddha Koṇāsana – Reclining Bound Angle
Upaviṣṭa	Seated	Upaviṣṭa Koṇāsana – Seated Angle Pose
Śīrṣa	Head	Śīrṣāsana – Headstand
Chaturanga	Four-limbed	Chaturaṅga Daṇḍāsana – Four-Limbed Staff Pose
Daṇḍa	Staff or rod	Refers to the straight spine in Daṇḍāsana

3. How Pose Names Fit Together

Pose names often describe what’s happening (action), to what part (body part), and how (position or direction).For example:

• Adho Mukha Śvānāsana → Adho (downward) + Mukha (facing) + Śvāna (dog) + Āsana (pose)→ “Downward-Facing Dog Pose”

• Utthita Trikoṇāsana → Utthita (extended) + Tri (three) + Koṇa (angle) + Āsana (pose)→ “Extended Triangle Pose”

• Ardha Baddha Padmottānāsana → Ardha (half) + Baddha (bound) + Padma (lotus) + Uttāna (intense stretch) + Āsana (pose)

Once you learn the meanings of the base words, Sanskrit names start to make perfect sense!

4. Alphabetical Glossary – Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga

Here’s a beginner-friendly list of the Ashtanga Primary Series postures in Sanskrit with their English names. (Spellings may vary slightly depending on transliteration systems.)

Sanskrit	English
Āsana	Posture
Adho Mukha Śvānāsana	Downward-Facing Dog
Ardha Baddha Padmottānāsana	Half Bound Lotus Forward Fold
Ardha Baddha Padma Paścimottānāsana	Half Bound Lotus Seated Forward Fold
Ardha Uttānāsana	Halfway Lift
Aṣṭāṅga Namaskāra	Eight-Limbed Prostration
Baddha Koṇāsana	Bound Angle Pose
Bhujapīdāsana	Shoulder-Pressing Pose
Chaturaṅga Daṇḍāsana	Four-Limbed Staff Pose
Daṇḍāsana	Staff Pose
Garbha Piṇḍāsana	Embryo Pose
Jānu Śīrṣāsana A, B, C	Head-to-Knee Pose (variations)
Koṇāsana	Angle Pose
Kurmasana	Tortoise Pose
Marīchyāsana A–D	Sage Marīchi’s Pose (A–D variations)
Nāvāsana	Boat Pose
Paścimottānāsana	Seated Forward Fold
Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana	Big Toe Pose
Pādahastāsana	Hand-to-Foot Pose
Pārśvottānāsana	Intense Side Stretch
Pūrvottānāsana	Upward Plank Pose
Salamba Sarvāṅgāsana	Supported Shoulderstand
Sūrya Namaskāra A & B	Sun Salutation A and B
Supta Koṇāsana	Reclining Angle Pose
Supta Kurmāsana	Sleeping Tortoise Pose
Supta Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana	Reclining Big Toe Pose
Setu Bandhāsana	Bridge Pose
Tādāsana / Samasthitiḥ	Mountain Pose / Equal Standing
Tri Koṇāsana	Triangle Pose
Ūrdhva Mukha Śvānāsana	Upward-Facing Dog
Ūrdhva Dhanurāsana	Upward Bow (Wheel) Pose
Utkatāsana	Chair Pose
Uttānāsana	Standing Forward Fold
Uttita Hasta Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana	Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose
Ubhaya Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana	Both Big Toes Pose
Upaviṣṭa Koṇāsana	Seated Wide Angle Pose
Vīrabhadrāsana A & B	Warrior I and II
Vinyāsa	Flowing sequence of movement and breath
Viparīta Karani	Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose
Yoga Mudrā	Symbolic Yoga Gesture
Śavāsana	Corpse Pose (final relaxation)

🌸 Tips for Beginners

• Listen for repetition: words like Adho, Ardha, and Urdhva come up often.

• Learn one or two new names each week.

• Don’t worry about pronunciation perfection — what matters is awareness and respect for the language.

• Notice how Sanskrit names describe the feeling or shape of the pose, not just the form.