śhuchau deśhe pratiṣhṭhāpya sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ
nātyuchchhritaṁ nāti-nīchaṁ chailājina-kuśhottaram
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
In this verse, Lord Krishna gives advice on how to create the right setting for practicing yoga. He tells us that when you want to meditate or do yoga, you should choose a clean and neat place to sit. This could mean finding a quiet corner in your home, a garden, or even a peaceful room where you feel comfortable.
Krishna emphasizes that the seat you choose should not be too high off the ground, like sitting on a tall chair, nor too low down, like sitting on the floor without any support. Instead, it should be at a comfortable height where you can sit easily without straining your body.
Traditionally, it's recommended to make your seat from clean materials. In ancient times, yogis would use a layer of cloth, a deerskin (a kind of soft animal skin), and kusa grass, which is a special type of grass considered pure in many spiritual practices. By layering these materials, the seat becomes both soft and strong, providing the right support for sitting for a longer time without discomfort.
The idea is to create a stable and comfortable foundation for your practice so that your body can relax and your mind can focus better. While the specific materials may not always be practical for everyone today, the key takeaway is to ensure that wherever you decide to sit, it should be clean and quiet, helping you to have a peaceful experience while practicing yoga or meditation. This preparation is important because it sets the stage for deeper concentration and control over your thoughts as you move forward in your spiritual practice.