Bhagavad Gita BG 6.11
Chapter 6, Verse 11 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
शुचौ देशे प्रतिष्ठाप्य स्थिरमासनमात्मनः । नात्युच्छ्रितं नातिनीचं चैलाजिनकुशोत्तरम् ॥
shucau deshe pratishthapya sthiram asanam atmanah natyucchritam nati-nicam cailajina-kushottaram
Meaning
Establishing for oneself a firm seat in a clean place — not too high, not too low — with cloth, deerskin, and kusha grass layered upon it.
Understanding
The Gita's meditation posture instructions: shucau deshe (in a clean, pure place). Sthiram asanam (a firm, stable seat — the foundation for stable meditation). The height is moderate: neither natyucchritam (too high, causing instability and danger) nor atinicha (too low, causing discomfort). The traditional seat layers: caila (cloth — probably wool or cotton), ajina (deerskin — insulating), and kusha (sacred grass) at the bottom. These materials were traditional insulators believed to support the energy of practice.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| शुचौ | shucau | in a clean, pure place |
| प्रतिष्ठाप्य | pratishthapya | having established, setting up firmly |
| स्थिरम् | sthiram | firm, stable, steady |
| चैलाजिनकुश | cailajina-kusha | cloth, deerskin, and kusha grass |
| उत्तरम् | uttaram | layered above, placed on top |
| देशे | deśe | in a place / at a spot |
| आसनम् | āsanam | a seat / a sitting place |
| आत्मनः | ātmanaḥ | for oneself / his own |
| न अत्युच्छ्रितम् | nātyucchritam | neither too high / not elevated |
| न अतिनीचम् | nāti-nīcam | nor too low / not too depressed |