In Hinduism

Yoga (school of philosophy)

Source: Wisdom Library: Yoga

Utkaṭāsana (उत्कटासन, “mighty posture”) is a Sanskrit word referring to a type of posture (āsana) used in Yoga. It is composed of the words utkaṭa (immense; superiour) and āsana (posture).

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

Utkaṭāsana (उत्कटासन) is a type of posture (āsana), according to verse 104 of the Śrītattvanidhi.—Accordingly, “Place the soles of the feet on the ground and bring the knees to the base of the ears. This is utkaṭāsana, the haughty”.

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

This name is found in Iyengar but a different āsana is illustrated here. Gheraṇḍasaṃhitā II.27 describes a different āsana. Still another āsana is illustrated in First Steps to Higher Yoga.

Source: archive.org: Gheranda Samhita

Utkaṭāsana (उत्कटासन) is one of the thirty-two āsanas (postures) taught in the second chapter of the Gheraṇḍasaṃhitā: “Firmly fixing two big toes on the ground, the ankles being raised up in the air and placing the anus on the ankles is called Utkaṭāsana”.

Utkaṭāsana 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 utkaṭa-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).

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Asana, Utkata.

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