Chapter 6 · Verse 11

Path of Meditation

शुचौ देशे प्रतिष्ठाप्य स्थिरमासनमात्मनः। नात्युच्छ्रितं नातिनीचं चैलाजिनकुशोत्तरम्
śhuchau deśhe pratiṣhṭhāpya sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ nātyuchchhritaṁ nāti-nīchaṁ chailājina-kuśhottaram

Word Meanings

śhuchau — in a clean; deśhe — place; pratiṣhṭhāpya — having established; sthiram — steadfast; āsanam — seat; ātmanaḥ — his own; na — not; ati — too; uchchhritam — high; na — not; ati — too; nīcham — low; chaila — cloth; ajina — a deerskin; kuśha — kuśh grass; uttaram — one over the other

Translation

In a clean place, having set up a firm seat for oneself—neither too high nor too low—covered with cloth, deerskin, and kusha grass, one upon the other;

Commentary

शुचौ in a clean? देशे spot? प्रतिष्ठाप्य having established? स्थिरम् firm? आसनम् seat? आत्मनः his own? न not? अत्युच्छ्रितम् very high? न not? अतिनीचम् very low? चैलाजिनकुशोत्तरम् a cloth? skin and Kusagrass? one over the other.Commentary In this verse the Lord has prescribed the external seat for practising meditation. Details of the pose are given in verse 13.Spread the Kusagrass on the ground first. Over this spread a tigerskin or deerskin over this spread a white cloth.Sit on a naturally clean spot? such as the bank of a river. Or? make the place clean? wherever you want to practise meditation.