padmasana

English

Babaji meditating in padmasana position.

Alternative forms

• padmasan

Etymology

From Sanskrit पद्मासन (padmāsana, “lotus seat”), from पद्म (padma, “lotus”) + आसन (āsana, “asana”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /padˈmɑːsənə/

Noun

padmasana (uncountable)

1. (yoga) A pose in which one sits cross-legged with each foot sole-upwards on the opposite leg; the lotus position. [from 19th c.]
   • 1997, Kiran Nagarkar, Cuckold, HarperCollins, published 2013, page 127:

     When he was a child of four, he sat in padmasan, his backbone a relaxed ninety degrees to the ground, for five or six hours while the singer or instrumentalist expounded a raga.

Adverb

padmasana (not comparable)

1. In the padmasana pose.
   • 1982, T. N. Srinivasan, A Hand Book of South Indian Images: An Introduction to the Study of Hindu Iconography, Tirupati: Tirumalai-Tirupati Devasthanams, page 96:

     Iconographically - according to Rupamandana, Brahma is depicted as standing or sitting padmasana with four heads […]

   • 2004, G. Venkataramayya, Narrative Art of South Indian Temples: Srisailam, Bharatiya Kala Prakashan, →ISBN, page 60:

     One sculpture (P/27-R/4) on southern wall towards west of the gopura dvara shows a person sitting padmasana on Yoga danda.

   • 2009, William Penn, “Garden Speedwells, Rain Lilies”, in Love in the Time of Flowers, Trafford Publishing, →ISBN, section 1, page 586:

     […] oh, even the clay khaddar-turbaned and dhoti-loinclothed fakir snake charmer sitting padmasana on his dhurry mat swaying from shrab and blowing jadu musica ficta, or the kind in the background of daravani films, on his miniature pungi flute in front of his jhow basket and donation bowl while diminutive papier mache nude bayaderes were scaling ambary ropes which the serpentwood flute’s notes caused to rise up from the basket for them to escape being pursued by a nittany hissing cobra . . . Fascinating!

   • 2011, Kip Manley, “Freeway”, in City of Roses, volume 1 (“Wake up…”), Supersticery Press, →ISBN, page 132:

     There’s a little guy sitting padmasana on the hood, there in the middle of the concentric rings of cramped white letters.

   • 2014, Colin Kirk, Life in Poetry, Xlibris LLC, →ISBN:

     There are two ways of finding an Earth Chakra. You ask or you experience. You could ask the guy stripped to the waist sitting padmasana in the centre of the castle courtyard but he’s otherwise engaged.

Indonesian

Etymology

From Sanskrit पद्मासन (padmāsana, “lotus seat”), a compound of पद्म (padma, “lotus”) +‎ आसन (āsana, “asana”). Equal to padma +‎ asana.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [pat̚maˈsa.na]
• Hyphenation: pad‧ma‧sa‧na

Noun

padmasana (first-person possessive padmasanaku, second-person possessive padmasanamu, third-person possessive padmasananya)

1. throne

   Synonyms: takhta, singgasana

2. (Balinese, Hinduism) throne of deva in Balinese Hinduism temple.
3. (archaeology, literal) a lotus-shaped seat.
4. (archaeology) padmasana, the lotus position.

Further reading

• “padmasana” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.