The Sanskrit term Uṣṭrāsana can be transliterated into English as Ustrasana or Ushtrasana, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Yoga (school of philosophy)

Source: Wisdom Library: Yoga

Uṣṭrāsana (उष्ट्रासन, “camel posture”) is a Sanskrit word referring to a type of posture (āsana) used in Yoga. It is composed of the words uṣṭra (camel) and āsana (posture)

Source: archive.org: Yoga Tradition of the Mysore Palace

Uṣṭrāsana (उष्ट्रासन) is a type of posture (āsana), according to verse 54 of the Śrītattvanidhi.—Accordingly, “Stand on the toes and stretch the arms in the air. This is uṣṭrāsana, the camel”.

The 19th-century Śrītattvanidhi is a sanskrit treatise describing 80 primary āsanas, or ‘posture’ (e.g., uṣṭra-āsana) and several additional ones.

This name is found in Iyengar but a different āsana is given under thename. The form of this āsana is not found.

Source: archive.org: Gheranda Samhita

Uṣṭrāsana (उष्ट्रासन) is one of the thirty-two āsanas (postures) taught in the second chapter of the Gheraṇḍasaṃhitā: “Lie prone with the legs upturned and crossed. Holding the crossed legs with hands, contract forcibly the abdomem and the mouth. This is called Uṣṭrāsana by the sages”.

Uṣṭrāsana is one of the selected 32 postures amongs 8,400,000 total mentioned by Śiva, according to Gheraṇḍasaṃhitā 2.1-2, “In all, there are as many Āsanas as species of animals. Eighty-four lacs of them are mentioned by Śiva. Out of them, 84 are regarded as important and among these 84, again 32 are good (enough) in this world of mortal beings”.

The 17th-century Gheraṇḍasaṃhitā (mentioning uṣṭra-āsana) is one of the three classic texts of Haṭha-yoga: a major branch of Yoga, sharing similarities with the Yoga system taught by Patañjali, though claiming its own mythical founder known as Matsyendranātha. This gheraṇḍa-saṃhitā is an encyclopedic Sanskrit treatise describing thirty two such āsanas.

context information

Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra

Uṣṭrāsana (उष्ट्रासन) or simply Uṣṭra is the name of a posture (āsana), according to chapter 2.1 [ajitanātha-caritra] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.

Accordingly, “the elephant of kings (i.e., Vimalavāhana) dismounted from the elephant’s shoulder and entered the garden, like a lion a mountain-cave. [...] He saw monks there, too, some in the [viz., uṣṭrāsana-posture, ...] some engaged in kāyotsarga, and some in ukṣa-posture, indifferent to the body, who had carried out their vows in the midst of numerous attacks, like soldiers in battles, victorious over internal enemies, enduring trials, powerful from penance and meditation [...] The King, with devotion sprouted in the guise of horripilation, as it were, approached Ācārya Arindama and paid homage to him”.

context information

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Ushtra, Asana.

Full-text: Ushtra.

Relevant text

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