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Sanskrit names are important

Āsana is a term with deep meaning in the yogic system, which is connected to the Sanskrit language. The word signifies a seat, a dwelling place, or a posture. One's yoga mat is a yoga āsana. The place one sleeps is an āsana. The specific postures, like Bhujaṅgāsana, are also called āsana. The term's meaning depends entirely on context. Yoga is a vast science greater than allopathic medicine, and its proper terminology carries inherent knowledge. Similarly, prāṇāyāma fundamentally consists of inhalation, retention, and exhalation. The Sanskrit alphabet resonates with the body's energy centers, and the language balances the mind. True communication begins with the heart's touch.

"Wherever you sit, that is your āsana."

"Prāṇāyāma is only three: pūraka (inhalation), kumbhaka (retention), and recaka (exhalation)."

Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic

Om Sukhinaḥ Sarve Santu Nirmayāḥ, Sarve Bhadrāṇi Paśyantu, Mā Kaścid Duḥkha Bhāg Bhavet. Om Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ. In this beautiful, holy place, the foundation of Mahāprabhujī’s deep satsaṅg, the atmosphere is beautiful. You were fortunate and lucky to have had very good teachers. We had many, many different activities, and you were successful. I look forward to continuing. Yoga in Daily Life is a complete system, not only āsanas and prāṇāyāmas. There are many explanations. If you study allopathic medicine, you must learn its language, which is Latin. This has nothing to do with a particular culture or religion; it is connected to Greek. All the names of medicines, as well as all the names of vegetation, herbs, flowers, and trees, must be studied; you should know the names of the medicines. Similarly, if you practice a Chinese system, they have names in their language, and you should know them. You can use your own language, but for that Chinese medicine, you must know the Chinese words. The same applies to Japanese or homeopathy; each has its own language. So Āyurveda has its own language. But unfortunately, many Indians are not using Sanskrit words; they are using Latin and are unaware of this. That is why Āyurveda is getting mixed, and they try to give allopathic tablets as well. Similarly, Southern and Western medical systems sometimes use Āyurvedic names. If you use the proper Sanskrit words for Āyurveda, there is more knowledge within them. The same applies to Yoga. Yoga is a very great, vast system, even greater than allopathic medicine. Yoga is connected to the Sanskrit language, to the Vedas, and to the time before the Vedas. Nowadays, people give whatever names they want. Today, I would like to give you some information. That name is called Āsana. Have you heard the name "āsana"? Yes? No? Both yes and no. Now, write this down in your book if you have something to write: wherever you sit, that is your āsana. What we call a "yoga mat"—"yoga" and "mat," a mix of Sanskrit and English, I don't know where "mat" comes from—is my yoga āsana. So, your yoga mat is your yoga āsana. This is my āsana. Where I am sitting, people come and give me a cloth, calling it "Swamiji’s āsana." It is a sign of respect. When you go to someone’s house, they offer you a chair or a sofa. If you sit on the floor, they give you a small āsana, a pillow to sit on; that is also called āsana. When you visit somewhere as a guest and stay, you might ask, "Where is my āsana, please?" This means, "Where is my room? Where is my bed?" So, "Where is my bed?" is called āsana. "Your āsana is in Gaṅgā Hall," or "Your āsana is in Saṅgam Hall," or "Your āsana is in Jadan Hall." That is called āsana. If a sādhu comes, you might ask, "Where is your ashram, or where is your āsana?" So, only one thing is called āsana. But in which context are you using it? In Sanskrit, you also know what is called salt. It is called sendhā namak—what you call Himalayan salt or rock salt, a little black. It is very healthy, very good, the best. That is called sendhā. Sendhā means the salt, so you call it sendhā namak or sendhā salt. However, a horse is also known as a sendhā. A horse is a sendhā, and the salt is sendhā salt. We must use our logic here. If you are eating and ask, "Please, can you bring the sendhā?" you mean, "Can you bring the salt?" But the person listening might run and bring a horse. Or, if you are going somewhere in a forest and ask, "Bring me sendhā," and you bring the salt, you should have brought the horse. At the dining table, you bring the salt. Similarly, with āsana: "Where is my āsana? Which is my āsana?" and so on. Where you sleep, lie down, your mattress—that is your āsana. So, use "my yoga āsana," not "yoga mat." Then we have the names of the postures, what we call Bhujaṅgāsana, Sarvāṅgāsana, etc. There, we are indicating the name. For example, there is Paścimottānāsana. Who does not know it? Hands up. My God, why am I giving a lecture? We should just meditate. You know everything. So, what is the definition of paścim? Pūrab is east, paścim is west. Our backside faces the sun. Paścima Uttānāsana is the stretching of the spine. So, Paścimottānāsana is a very good name with great meaning. In some German books, it is simply called "Chang’e," but Chang’e is different from Paścimottānāsana. Paścimottānāsana has a great meaning; you could write an entire book on it. Many things are contained within Paścimottānāsana: sunsetting, going down, etc. Bhujaṅgāsana, Paścimottānāsana—these are also called āsana. Then, finally, in which āsana are you sitting? Sukhāsana, Vajrāsana, Padmāsana—we are sitting. This is our posture. How are you lying down? We lie down in Sukhāsana, just relaxed. Sukha means pleasure, ease, comfort. So, there are many names for different things, but one name is called āsana. Especially all who are now yoga teachers here, they know this—maybe they have forgotten. And those studying in yoga teacher training should know this word: āsana. Give the definition of āsana. You can mention and explain all this. This will come in your examinations next time. I can only tell you tomorrow, or maybe. Similarly, there are many names for prāṇāyāma. Prāṇāyāma is only three: pūraka (inhalation), kumbhaka (retention), and recaka (exhalation). That is all. Inhale, exhale, and retention of the breath—this is prāṇāyāma. But how many different techniques are there, and for what purpose? How to do it? These are called the techniques of prāṇāyāma. Similarly, there are techniques of the āsana, or what the āsana means. Finally, when you learn everything and perfect it, then you have an āsana in the air—levitation. You are above the earth, not touching it, sustained by your own energy. It is said that such yogīs have a dhūnī, a fireplace. A yogī like this, levitating, can also take that dhūnī up. The vāta yogī on the seventh level of heaven has his fire there, his dhūnī there. Dhūnī has many meanings. Dhūnī means fire, and dhūnī also means a sacred place. But dhūnī also means being within yourself, not caring about the external world, walking in your own state. Once, I was standing in the Singapore transit area about ten or fifteen years ago. A man in a bookstore was looking at books and suddenly said, "Yes, I know that," and then, "No, that’s not like that." I thought he must be a scrooge or in his dhūnī—absorbed within himself. Then I realized he had a mobile phone and headset, talking to someone. Nowadays, if someone is walking in the forest here and laughing, we don’t pay attention because we know they are on the telephone. Technology is very advanced, but dhūnī means you are in yourself, happy in your own world, in a bubble. Dhunlāgī Begumkī—there is a bhajan, "Dhunlagi Begumki." Which bhajan is this? In this prayer, there is dhūnī lagī begam kī. We cannot fully describe it. Where is the awareness, the consciousness, and the vṛttis of that yogī? What is the consciousness? What are the vṛttis of that yogī? Mahāprabhujī spoke about this dhūnī. What are you burning in the fire of the dhūnī? "Without fire, my dhūnī is burning"—without wood, sorry. There is no fuel to burn the dhūnī, but that dhūnī is the Maṇipūra Cakra. That is also a fire. In yogic language: dhūnī, dhun, and dhyāna. Dhyāna means meditation or concentration. Dhyān se suno—listen carefully, with alertness and awareness. Dhyāna se car čalānā—drive the car carefully, please. So, dhyāna, dhūnī, dhun—these words are very useful for our yogic life and yogic anatomy. In many bhajans, certain things are written. For example, there is a bhajan, "Kaṇṭh Kamalme." Kaṇṭha means the throat, kamala means the lotus, and this refers to the Viśuddhi Cakra. Hṛdaya Kamal—"Hṛdaya kamal kī āṅkh khul jāye"—this is the heart, the Anāhata lotus. Similarly, nābhi kamal: nābhi is the navel, the navel lotus is that cakra. Mūlādhāra Cakra, the Mūlādhāra Cakra. For every cakra, there are different names. They mean the same thing but are used in poetry or song. So, "Kaṇṭha kamala meṁ kudrat bole." Kudrat is also an Urdu word. Kudrat can mean your destiny or your thoughts; it has different meanings. "Kudrat kā khel hai"—this is the drama of destiny. In our bhajans, we must read very carefully. In the Sanskrit language, you know there are 52 alphabets. These 52 alphabets correspond exactly to the petals of our cakras, including the bīja mantras. On every petal, there is one mantra. The number of petals—four, six, ten, eight, twelve, etc.—represents their resonance. This resonance balances the entire nervous system. When we perform our Kriyā Sādhanā, Kriyā Yoga, which you do every day, you are awakening that resonance from each and every petal of the cakra. The twelve petals of the Anāhata, for instance, are controlled by one bīja mantra: Yam. So: Lam, Vam, Ram, Yam, and then? Ham, Ham, Ham. Yes. You should know this very clearly. This resonance is on each alphabet. Scientists who study language say the perfect language is one that balances both hemispheres of the brain while dreaming, talking, singing, thinking, and writing. In all these activities, both hemispheres are equally balanced. I have heard from experts and scientists that only a few languages achieve this: Sanskrit, Old Greek, Parsi, and then Latin. However, Latin fails in two actions. This principle is within our body. We are often in too much of a hurry. In our thinking, words, or actions, there are three things we should know: the word itself, called śabda; the alphabet, akṣara; and the knowledge, jñāna. So: knowledge (jñāna), feeling (bhāva), and word (śabda). Śabda, bhāva, and jñāna. A person learned in Sanskrit, or one who reads that language, has speech balanced on these three things: śabda, artha, and bhāvārtha. Śabdārtha, artha, bhāvārtha. This awakens in our cakras, and Kriyā Yoga utilizes this greatly. Do not think, "On Cakra Yoga I will go home and do something, Agni Sāra or this Sāra." There are many Sāras. Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa; Sa, Ni, Dha, Pa, Ma, Ga, Re, Sa. Learning the harmonium, no? The keys must also be perfect. So, learn your language with this: the notes, the keys you are using. When you touch one key, other keys should not be touched at all. If you play the piano and go "boom, boom," it is not good. But when a good pianist plays, it is said to be flowing, like the pouring of oil or ghee. Water does not fall in balance, but ghee or oil pours very smoothly. This is harmony. That is my harmonium; "harmonium" means harmony. These are the last few instructions or words for you to know. Use all the names of our yoga postures. There are some movements for which we do not know the name; we can give them any name—these are minor movements. Or perhaps they are in Sanskrit, I do not know. Of course, the wrist has a name, the elbow has a name—everything is named. In English, you do not have as many names, but in German there are more. German is more perfect than the English language. Some say that Sanskrit is the expert of languages. There was an expert in Salzburg; maybe he is still living or not. English is a language that comes from Germany and from French—"horse boys." I do not want to discriminate against any language, but this is what a few people have told me. English is very quick, but it does not penetrate thoroughly. If you speak very good German, it is like a flow of oil. But who can speak good German now? Many of you, okay, listen. There are many who learn good German and speak it; it is great. Sometimes when I hear someone speaking good German, I think I do not know anything. I understand what he or she is speaking, but it is such a relaxing language. Everything is relaxing. Which is the best language for relaxing? Tell me now, please. They say the mother language. The most relaxing is when a mother takes her baby in her lap and they communicate through touch. That is the best language, no? That touch of the mother, even an animal feels it. When we go and touch domestic animals—do not go and touch a cobra—it comes from the heart. Our heart melts even for animal babies. How cruel it is that little chicken babies, so small, are thrown into hot water. That is a sin, a very big sin. There is no mercy. Anyhow, I wish you all the best. Come home safely. Many greetings and blessings to your families, friends, colleagues, and all. Drive carefully, and make nice intervals somewhere, standing and resting. Bless you. In the name of Allāh, the Lord of the Worlds. In the name of Allāh, the Lord of the Worlds. Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ.

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

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