Yoga, meditation and mantra chanting often reach us first through sound. Yet beneath every familiar term — asana, prāṇa, dhyāna — lies Sanskrit, the language that gives these practices their philosophical and spiritual depth. Even a little knowledge of Sanskrit transforms yoga from a set of techniques into an experience of clarity and inner alignment.

Many practitioners use words like asana without realising their richness. The root ās means “to sit, to be established,” reminding us that an asana is about resting steadily in oneself and not performance. Dhyāna, commonly translated as meditation, comes from dhyai — “to perceive clearly.” Suddenly meditation feels less like effort and more like cultivating inner clarity.

Understanding Sanskrit also changes how mantras touch us. Śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ is an invocation of peace on three levels – cosmic, worldly and inner.  When chanting aligns with meaning, the practice becomes deliberate and powerful.

Sanskrit deepens yogic philosophy too. Words such as vairāgya or ātman reveal nuanced, contemplative ideas that translations often flatten. Encountering these ideas in their original form opens a more authentic and practical understanding of spiritual texts.

This is where the Easy Sanskrit Course at Chinmaya International Foundation becomes invaluable. By making Sanskrit accessible and intuitive, it allows seekers to move from repetition to understanding, and from understanding to inner transformation. Through the language, the practice of yoga becomes that refines who we are.

Om Tat Sat

Shaili Arjani