Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā / 1.24 The tortoise
1.24
Haṭha (हठ) Yoga Pradīpikā (प्रदीपिका)
गुदं निरुध्य गुल्फाभ्यां व्युत्क्रमेण समाहितः ।
कूर्मासनं भवेदेतदिति योगविदो विदुः gudaṃ nirudhya gulphābhyāṃ vyutkrameṇa samāhitaḥ |
kūrmāsanaṃ bhaved etad iti yogavido viduḥ
The line
Closing the anus with the two ankles, crossed, and composed: this is the tortoise seat. Those who know yoga know it so.
नेपालीमा
दुई गोलीगाँठो काटेर र समाहित भई गुदद्वार थुन्दा यो कछुवाको आसन हुन्छ। योग जान्नेहरू यसलाई यसरी जान्छन्।
Where it sits
Kūrma (कूर्म) is the tortoise. This is a different tortoise from the supporting kamaṭha (कमठ) of 1.10.
Split: gudaṃ (गुदं) nirudhya (निरुध्य) gulphābhyāṃ (गुल्फाभ्यां) vyutkrameṇa (व्युत्क्रमेण) samāhitaḥ (समाहितः) / kūrmāsanaṃ (कूर्मासनं) bhaved (भवेद्) etad (एतद्) iti (इति) yoga (योग) + vido (विदो) viduḥ (विदुः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| gudaṃ (गुदं) | nominative or accusative singular | the anus. |
| nirudhya (निरुध्य) | form in the line | as this verse uses the word. |
| gulphābhyāṃ (गुल्फाभ्यां) | form in the line | as this verse uses the word. |
| vyutkrameṇa (व्युत्क्रमेण) | instrumental singular | inverted order, crossed. |
| samāhitaḥ (समाहितः) | nominative singular | gathered. |
| kūrmāsanaṃ (कूर्मासनं) | nominative or accusative singular | as this verse uses the word. |
| bhaved (भवेद्) | form in the line | becomes. |
| etad (एतद्) | form in the line | this. |
| iti (इति) | indeclinable | thus. |
| yoga-vido (योग-विदो) | form in the line | yoga; to be. |
| viduḥ (विदुः) | form in the line | they know. |
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. Closing the anus with the two ankles, crossed, and composed: this is the tortoise seat. Those who know yoga know it so.