Amrita 6: Asana through the ages - Magazine - Page 38
The Purpose of Asana
B.K.S. Iyengar: “sanas keep the body healthy and strong and in
harmony with nature”1
Sri K. Pattabhi Jois: “The method for purifying the body is called asana”2
The British Wheel of Yoga: “Regular practice of asana ...is just the first
stage on the path of Raja Yoga or the path of meditation”3
Three different interpretations of asana – but which, if any, is correct?
WITH SOCIAL MEDIA constantly bombarding us with images of lycra-clad bodies contorted in seemingly impossible
positions and in equally inaccessible locations, it is easy to
equate the purpose of sana solely with the cultivation of
our physiques. In fact, the origins of sana are rather more
prosaic than that. The great Sanskritist, Monier-Williams,
translates the root verb, s, from which it is derived, as “sitting”, “halting”, “abiding” or “dwelling.” The noun, sana, usually refers to a throne or platform probably – but not exclusively – used in meditation.
Aside from a few references, sana in the early literature
of India is conspicuous by its absence. The vetvatara
Upanisad describes a procedure whereby “the body remains
straight, with the three sections erect”, while the senses and
mind are brought under control (SU 2. 8.)4. In the Bhagavad
Gt, the yogin is instructed to “hold his body, head and neck
in a straight line”, while fixed in meditation on Ksa (6. 1113).5 Elsewhere in the Mahbhrata, we find postures adopted by ascetics, such as standing on one leg for long periods
of time, but these are rare and function more as penance for
past transgressions.
Patañjali’s’ Yoga Stras (400-500 CE) mentions an (unspecified) “stable and comfortable” seat (2.46).6 But beyond
encouraging us to relax in it, little is said about the posture.
Here, sana functions as a tool to prepare both body and
mind for the goal of Samkhyan metaphysics: the reconciliation of the pairs of opposites which impact upon our consciousness (2.46-8). sana, therefore, has a fairly low ranking
in Patañjali’s hierarchical scheme of Yoga.
36 AMRITA Issue 6 / Spring 2021
This minimalist interpretation is reminiscent of others in
the Pli canon: “Having folded his legs crosswise, straightened his body, and established mindfulness… he breathes
in…he breathes out” (Majjhima Nikya, 8.4).7 In its depiction
of ease and comfort, this sana could not be further from the
painful, racking exertions, such as standing on one leg or
imitating animal behaviour, practiced by the competing ascetic groups of the day: practices which, after much experimentation, were rejected by the Buddha in his search for
enlightenment.
This pragmatic use of c, however, signalled the beginning
of the construction of a complex bodily experience which
was to reach its apotheosis between the 10th and 12th centuries CE: a period in which Tantric aivism became India’s
dominant religion. Chief among the sects which proliferated
at the time were the Nath Yogis of Northern India. Fearsome
warrior-ascetics, they sported long, matted hair and nails,
supported rival kings in battle and controlled valuable trade
routes. They also experimented with sana to an unprecedented degree. The postures they discovered on this extraordinary journey were documented in several texts between the 12th and 19th centuries, from the
Dattatreyayogastra to the Hathbysapaddhati. They were
also vividly illustrated in the Moghul miniatures which depicted the bemused encounters of their Islamic conquerors
with the jungle-dwelling yogis of India.
The Dattatreyayogastra describes the sage of the title as
“sitting on a platform under a mango tree in a bound-lotus
pose” (2-5).8 Baddha padmsana thus has the distinction of
