In short: most Sanskrit pose names are built from a small set of words. Learn ardha (half), parivṛtta (revolved), supta (reclining), utthita (extended), baddha (bound) and eka pāda (one foot or leg), and long names start to read like descriptions. The table below lists each word with its meaning and poses that use it.
Take Parivṛtta Trikoṇāsana: parivṛtta (turned round, revolved) + trikoṇa (triangle) + āsana (posture) gives revolved triangle pose. Adho Mukha Śvānāsana is adho (downward) + mukha (face) + śvāna (dog) + āsana: downward-facing dog. Many names also honour sages (Marichi, Bharadvaja, Vasistha) or describe animals and objects (crow, peacock, plough, bow). Meanings here follow the Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary; we write the words in IAST, with simpler spellings listed on each entry.
Browse the poses themselves in the Sanskrit A to Z, or see every Sanskrit, breathing and class term in the full yoga glossary.
Sources
- Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary: parivṛtta, trikoṇa, adhas, mukha, śvan, āsana and the pose-name words, Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries, University of Cologne (accessed October 6, 2026)
Facts checked on October 6, 2026