Sacred Sanskrit Words: For Yoga, Chant, and Meditation

by Leza Lowitz, Reema Datta

"A must-have for anyone who is new and serious about exporing the subject further. Also recommended for advanced practitioners who may want to 'brush-up' on their Sanskrit." -- Yoga Magazine UK "This slim volume is a lot more than its title lets on." -- The Asian Reporter "...A joy to it has accuracy in its translations, beauty in its presentation, and conveys the spiritual richness of the yogic tradition. It will definitely enrich the life of many yoga teachers and students." -- Ascent Magazine Joseph Campbell called Sanskrit “the great spiritual language of the world.” Designed by ancient Indian holy men to express the states of enlightened consciousness through syllabic sounds, Sanskrit is widely used in the West during yoga practice to channel spiritual pathways and to discuss important meditative and philosophical concepts. This book introduces 180 Sanskrit words (including chakra , karma , om , namaste , veda , nirvana ) with Devanagari scripts, pronunciations, chants and brief cultural/historic explanations. A practical reference that makes an excellent gift book for any student of yoga, meditation or Eastern religion. Leza Lowitz is a much-published writer and director of Sun and Moon Yoga Studio in Tokyo. Reema Datta grew up in India and teaches Ashtanga yoga and Ayurvedic cooking in San Francisco.

Genres: Reference

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

About the author

I'm a California girl living in Tokyo, where I write and run a yoga studio. For over two decades, I've been charting my quest in twenty books in many genres. I hope I'm just getting started.

I’m interested in ideas of identity and history. How is culture shaped, and how are we shaped by it? All of my books deal with notions of finding home.

"Up from the Sea," my debut Young Adult novel in verse about the March 11, 2011 Japan tsunami, is just out from Crown Books for Young Readers/Penguin Random House. It's about making a home within yourself when the only home you've ever known is destroyed. Named a #1 YA pick by BUZZFEED:http://www.buzzfeed.com/farrahpenn/ya...

My memoir, "In Search of the Sun" charts my quest for motherhood across two decades, two continents, and two thousand yoga poses. Its about creating connection and family--finding a home in each other, and in the world.

"Jet Black and the Ninja Wind," a YA adventure I co-wrote with my Japanese husband, is about a biracial girl seeking home across cultures. Her mission is to save her ancestral home and its ancient treasure.

Then there's the poetry. "Yoga Poems: Lines to Unfold By" deals with finding a home in one’s body. "Yoga Heart: Lines on the Six Perfections" charts the path to finding a home in the spirit.

I often write with my husband, the Middle Grade novelist Shogo Oketani (author of J-Boys, Kazuo's World, Tokyo, 1965 (translated by Avery Udagawa) about five fifth graders growing up during the first Tokyo Olympics). Building a bridge from East to West, we’ve collaborated on a book about kanji, a collection of poetry by a pacifist Japanese soldier, and the Jet Black trilogy in progress. Other couples finish each other’s sentences. We try to finish each other’s books.

Other Stuff people ask about: My writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Huffington Post, Yoga Journal, Shambhala Sun, The Best Buddhist Writing, The Japan Times, Art in America, and the San Francisco Chronicle, among others.

I've been fortunate to have received some literary awards, including the APALA Asia Pacific Award in Young Adult Literature, a SCBWI Work-in-Progress Fiction Honor grant, a PEN Syndicated Fiction Award, The PEN Josephine Miles Award for Poetry, individual grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the California Arts Council. Shogo and I received The U.S.-Japan Friendship Commission Award from Columbia University for the Translation of Japanese Literature. I've also received the Benjamin Franklin Award for Editorial Excellence, and three Pushcart Prize nominations.

I have a B.A. from U.C. Berkeley and an M.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. I've taught writing and literature there and at the University of Tokyo. I teach yoga and meditation internationally.

I love reading, dogs, and chocolate--preferably all at the same time. Thanks for stopping by.

Reviews

[Kelly Fitzpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will continually come back to this book. I love it as a reference and a good starting point for understanding the complexity of sanskrit.

[Zac Sigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. I might use a few of the mantras during meditation or yoga. Mostly a vocabulary book, so if you're looking for a way to learn the language, this book isn't really for that.

[Niki Walters]

LOVED this book. Oddly enough I am profoundly grateful for the alphabetical order, so often searching for sanskrit terms is like a needle in a haystack. Will reference this book again and again!

[Rod Hillen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing primer into the depths of the beautiful language of Sanskrit. I refer to it often. Carefully researched and lovingly written, this little jewel gives lucid and clear explanations of each word presented. The word is also displayed in Devanagari, an alphabet created for the language. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Sanskrit, yoga, Hinduism, or Buddhism.
This book not meant to teach you how to speak or read Sanskrit, there is no grammar or any instruction to that end, its purpose is to translate select sacred words and phrases.

[Judy Lindow · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The book introduces over 160 spiritually significant. Sanskrit words with Devanagari scripts, pronunciations, chants, and brief cultural and historical explanations." The book is a good intro-to Sanskrit words used in yoga study and practice. The script is very beautiful, and there is a rules of pronunciation in the front of the book. My only complaint is that phonetic pronunciations would have been helpful. I am familiar with 6 of the 12 chants in the book and can attest to their beauty and significance. The brief history of Sanskrit and the Bibliography are helpful.