Hello! Happy Sanskrit Friday!
Today's word is शलभ. It's pronounced shuh-lub in English and means locust. You see this word used in combination with असन (asana, or pose) to make शलभासन shalabhasana, or locust pose. The "bh" sound is like a regular "b" sound but you breathe out more while you speak. Say it with me now — shalabhasana. Shalabhasana!
शलभ (shalabh) means locust, but it also means cricket, grasshopper, and moth. It's as confusing as the word is in English, where it can also mean cicada or grasshopper. I've taken the usage for grasshopper, since the word usage to mean cicada didn't start until the last two hundred years. There's a great explanation on Wikipedia about its etymology if you're interested.
Shalabhasana is a difficult pose, as its a strong back bend using your arms. A good tip is to place your hands palm-up underneath you, using your fingers to prop up your thighs to come deeper into the pose.
Thanks for reading. You've got another Sanskrit word under your belt! For tips on learning how to read and write in Sanskrit in its native script, read my post here.
Thank you! Until next week.
नमस्ते,
Tyler
Correction 8/11/14: The pronunciation guide in the infographic has been fixed!
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