SANSKRIT DATABASE

The word “Sanskrit” means “perfectly formed” or “made in a well-polished way”. Sanskrit Building Blocks Reference Database: A quick reference guide to understand the meaning and energetic quality of common Sanskrit words used in yoga, designed to be used as a tool for embodied learning.

Name	Description	Tags	Enfolding Quality	Unfolding Quality
adho	downward	numberenfolding
Adho Muhka Svanasana	Downward Facing Dog Pose	enfolding
Adho Mukha Vriksasana	Downward Facing Tree Pose
alamba	that on which one rests or leans, support
anga	limb	body part
angustha	big toe	body part
Anjaneyasana	Low Lunge Pose
Appanasana	Knees to Chest Pose
Arda Matsyendrasana	Half Lord of the Fish Pose
ardha	half
Ardha Chaturanga Dandasana	Plank Pose
Ardha Shirshasana
Ardha Uttanasana	Halfway Lift
asana	a stable seat (Enfolding) or physical expression (Unfolding)
ashta	eight	number
Astavakrasana	Eight-Angle Pose
baddha	bound	enfolding
Baddha Konasana	Bound Angle Pose
baka	crow, crane, heron	animal
Bakasana	Crow Pose
bala	young, childish, not fully grown or developed	sage
Bala Parsva Bhuja Dandasana	Baby Grasshopper
Balasana	Child’s Pose
bandha	lock
bhadra	gentle, good
bhuja	arm, shoulder	body part
bhujanga	serpent	animal
Bhujangasana	Cobra Pose
Chakrasana
chatur	four	number
Chaturanga Dandasana	Four Limbed Stick Pose
danda	staff, stick, rod	enfolding
Dandasana	Staff Pose
dhanu	bow
Dhanurasana	Bow Pose
dwi	two	number
eka	one	number
Eka Pada Koundinyasana 2	Name of a Sage
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana	One-legged Royal Pigeon Pose
Eka Padapranamasana	Tree Pose
Galavasana	Flying Pigeon Pose
garuda	indian mythological figure (the carrier of Vishnu and enemy of the Nagas which are serpents, representing darkness)	sage
Garudasana	Garuda = Indian mythological figure (the carrier of Vishnu and enemy of the Nagas which are serpents, representing darkness). A composite animal, partly bird, therefore commonly translated as eagle. - Eagle Pose.	sageanimal
go	cow	animal
Gomukhasana	Cow Face Pose
Halasana	Plow Pose
Hanumanasana	Splits Pose, Monkey Pose
hanumat	having large jaws, monkey chief	animal
hasta	hands	body part
indra	ruler, lord	sage
janu	knee	body part
Janu Sirsasana	Head to Knee Pose
jathara	stomach, belly, abdomen, bowels, internal	body part
Jathara Parivrtti	Belly Twist
kafta	earth, water	element
Kakasana	Kaka = crow – Crow Pose.
kapota	dove, pigeon	animal
karna	ear	body part
kham	space
kona	angle
Kumbhakasna	Kumbhak = breath retention. (In the traditional practice of this pose, breath is retained for a brief moment before lowering the body into the low push-up position (either Chaturanga Dandasana or Ashtanga Namaskara).
Marjariasana	Marjari = Cat – Cat (Stretch) Pose.
Marjaryasana Bitilasana	Cat Cow
matsya	fish	animal
Matsyasana	Fish Pose
mayura	peacock	animal
mukha	facing, mouth	body part
nata	dancer	sage
Natarajasana	Dancer’s Pose
nava	boat	object
Navasana	Boat Pose
pada	foot	body part
Padahastasana	pada = feet; hasta = hand also known as uttanasana
padma	lotus	object
Padmasana	Lotus Pose
Parivartanasana
Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana	Seated Compass Pose
parivrtti	turning, rolling	enfolding
parsva	side or flank	unfolding
Parsva Bakasana	Side Crow Pose
Parsva Balasana	Thread the Needle
pascha	behind, after, later, west, backside
paschima	west or backside
Paschimottanasana	Seated Forward Fold
Pavana Muktasana
Phalakasana	High Plank Pose
pincha	feather of a tail	animal
Pincha Mayurasana	Feathered Peacock Pose
pita	fire, water	element
prana	breathe
Pranayama	Breath=energy work
prasarita	spread out, wide	unfolding	The feeling of widening your stance, spreading your limbs wide. The word itself sounds like it's spreading out.
Prasarita Padottanasana	Prasarita = spread, extended, expanded. Pada = foot. Ut = upward, intense. Tan = stretch – Wide-Legged Forward Bend.
raja	king	sage
sa	with
salabha	grasshopper, locust	animal
salamba	supported	enfolding
Salamba Sarvangasana	Supported Shoulder Stand
Salamba Sirsasana	Supported Headstand
sama	same, equal, upright	enfolding
Samastithi
sarva	all
sava	corpse
Savasana	Corpse Pose
setu	bridge, dam-like
Setu Bandhasana	Bridge Pose
Shalabasana	Locust Pose
sirsa	head, to touch with head	body part
Sirsa Pincha Mayurasana	Dophin Pose
Sirsasana II	Tripod Headstand
Sirshasana	head-stand
Skandasana	Side Lunge
sthira	firm, strong, attentive, alert	enfolding
sthiti	to establish/stand
sukha	comfortable, gentle, agreeable
sukham	comfortable, relaxed, at ease.
Sukhasana	Easy Pose
supta	expanded Reclined, supine	unfolding
Supta Arivartanasana
svana	dog	animal
tada	mountain
Tadasana	Moutain Pose
tan	stretch	unfolding
Tittibhasana	Firefly Pose
tri	three	number
Trikonasana	Triangle Pose
upavistha	seated
Upavistha Konasana	Seated Wide-Angle Pose
urdhva	rising upward, raised, elevated	unfolding
urdhva hastasana
Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana	Standing Split Pose
ushtra	camel	animal
Ustrasana	Camel Pose
ut	upward, intense
utkata	fierce, proud or awkward
Utkatasana	Chair Pose
uttana	intense, deliberate stretch
Utthan Pristhasana	Lizard Pose
utthita	extended	unfolding
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana	Utthita = extended. Pada = foot. Hasta = hand. Angustha = big toe – Extended Hand-To-Big-Toe Pose.
Utthita Parsvakonasana	Seated Wide-Angle Pose
vajra	diamond, thunderbolt
Vajrasana	Vajra = Diamond, Thunderbolt – Diamond Pose / Thunderbolt Pose / Adamantine Pose. Used by Muslims and ZEN Buddhists as a prayer or meditation position.
vakra	crooked, curved, bent
vasistha	a sage, most excellent, best, richest	sage
Vasisthasana	Vasistha = A sage, most excellent, best, richest – Side Plank Pose.
vata	aether, air, wind	element
viparita	Inverted, reversed	unfolding
vira	warrior, hero, chief.	sage
virabhadra	one of Shiva’s warriors	sage
Virabhadrasana I	Vira = Warrior, Hero, Chief. Bhadra = Gentle, Good. Virabhadra = A superior being created by Shiva as a Warrior for his Army – Warrior Pose I
Virabhadrasana II	Vira = Warrior, Hero, Chief. Bhadra = Gentle, Good. Virabhadra = A superior being created by Shiva as a Warrior for his Army – Warrior Pose II.
Virabhadrasana III	Vira = warrior, hero, chief. Bhadra = gentle, good. Virabhadra = A superior being created by Shiva as a Warrior for his Army – Warrior Pose. Also known as: Eka Padasana
Virasana	Hero’s Pose
vriksha	tree	object
Vrikshasana	Tree Pose. Also known as: Eka Padapranamasana.
yama
yuj or yoga			The Practice: to yoke, bind, unite, join. Creating structure, linking breath to body, focusing the mind.	The Purpose: to liberate, expand awareness, realize the Self. Moving beyond limitations, achieving a state of wholeness.