Devanagari
शुचौ देशे प्रतिष्ठाप्य विजितासन आसनम् ।
तस्मिन्स्वस्ति समासीन ऋजुकाय: समभ्यसेत् ॥ ८ ॥
Verse text
śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya
vijitāsana āsanam
tasmin svasti samāsīna
ṛju-kāyaḥ samabhyaset
Synonyms
śucau deśe
—
in a sanctified place
;
pratiṣṭhāpya
—
after placing
;
vijita
—
āsanaḥ — controlling the sitting postures
;
āsanam
—
a seat
;
tasmin
—
in that place
;
svasti samāsīnaḥ
—
sitting in an easy posture
;
ṛju
—
kāyaḥ — keeping the body erect
;
samabhyaset
—
one should practice .
Translation
After controlling one’s mind and sitting postures, one should spread a seat in a secluded and sanctified place, sit there in an easy posture, keeping the body erect, and practice breath control.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Mastering the āsanas, he should establish his seat in a clean place and sitting in svastikāsana, keeping the body straight, he should practice controlling the breath.
The āsana and other features are described. The āsana should be kuśa and deer skin, covered with cloth. On that he should sit in svasti position: placing the foot of one leg on the thigh of the other. He should sit and practice controlling the breath.
Purport
Sitting in an easy posture is called
svasti samāsīnaḥ.
It is recommended in the
yoga
scripture that one should put the soles of the feet between the two thighs and ankles and sit straight; that posture will help one to concentrate his mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This very process is also recommended in
Bhagavad-gītā,
Sixth Chapter. It is further suggested that one sit in a secluded, sanctified spot. The seat should consist of deerskin and
kuśa
grass, topped with cotton.