Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā / 1.19 The first limb
1.19
Haṭha (हठ) Yoga Pradīpikā (प्रदीपिका)
हठस्य प्रथमाङ्गत्वादासनं पूर्वमुच्यते ।
कुर्यात् तदासनं स्थैर्यमारोग्यं चाङ्गलाघवम् haṭhasya prathamāṅgatvād āsanaṃ pūrvam ucyate |
kuryāt tad āsanaṃ sthairyam ārogyaṃ cāṅgalāghavam
The line
Because āsana (आसन) is the first limb of haṭha (हठ), the seat is taught first. That seat should make steadiness, health, and lightness of limb.
नेपालीमा
आसन हठको पहिलो अङ्ग भएकाले आसन पहिले सिकाइन्छ। त्यो आसनले स्थिरता, स्वास्थ्य र अङ्गको हलुकापन ल्याउनुपर्छ।
Where it sits
A heading, atha āsanam (अथ आसनम्), stands before the verse and is not recited. Yoga Sūtra (सूत्र) 2.46 defines āsana (आसन) as what is steady and easeful, and names no shape. This chapter names the shapes. Sthairya (स्थैर्य) here is steadiness of the body in the seat.
Split: haṭhasya (हठस्य) prathamāṅgatvād (प्रथमाङ्गत्वाद्) āsanaṃ (आसनं) pūrvam (पूर्वम्) ucyate (उच्यते) / kuryāt (कुर्यात्) tad (तद्) āsanaṃ (आसनं) sthairyam (स्थैर्यम्) ārogyaṃ (आरोग्यं) cāṅga (चाङ्ग) + lāghavam (लाघवम्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| haṭhasya (हठस्य) | genitive singular | haṭha (हठ). The yoga of force. |
| prathamāṅgatvād (प्रथमाङ्गत्वाद्) | form in the line | because it is the first limb. |
| āsanaṃ (आसनं) | nominative or accusative singular | a seat. |
| pūrvam (पूर्वम्) | indeclinable | first, before. |
| ucyate (उच्यते) | present | is called. |
| kuryāt (कुर्यात्) | optative | one should do. |
| tad (तद्) | form in the line | that. |
| sthairyam (स्थैर्यम्) | nominative or accusative singular | steadiness. |
| ārogyaṃ (आरोग्यं) | nominative or accusative singular | health. |
| cāṅga-lāghavam (चाङ्ग-लाघवम्) | nominative or accusative singular | and a limb; lightness. |
Sanskrit in this line
The quarters run 16, 16 syllables. A hyphen in the split is a compound joint, a teaching mark, and the voice joins it.
Say it back
Cover the English and say the verse in one sentence. Because āsana (आसन) is the first limb of haṭha (हठ), the seat is taught first. That seat should make steadiness, health, and lightness of limb.