Sanskrit Friday: Tittibha/Lapwing (टिट्टिभ)

Hi! Happy Sanskrit Friday!

Today's word is टिट्टिभ. It's pronounced tih-ttih-bhuh in English and means lapwing or tittibha bird, which is a kind of bird that lives on the coast in India.

You see the word used in combination with असन (asana, or pose) to make टिट्टिभासन tittibhasana, which in English we've come to refer to as firefly pose. As far as I can tell, there is no Sanskrit basis for the translation of tittibha to mean firefly. If anyone has any information on why this has come to be, please comment below!

The "t" sound in tittibha is made in the middle-upper part of the mouth. In linguistics terms, the sound is a voiceless retroflex stop and, to me, is one of those sounds that sounds distinctly Indian. The double "tt" is held a bit longer than just one t, as though there is a pause there. Say it with me – tittibhasana. Tittibhasana!

Tittibhasana is an intermediate/advanced arm balance pose and requires a lot of core and shoulder strength. It's best done after malasana (garland pose) and बकासन bakasana (crane/crow pose). You can also transition from tittibhasana back into bakasana while still balancing on your arms. It's very challenging!

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