Seated pose with one leg hanging down in Indian art and religion
Shiva, Chola bronze, 12th-centuryChinese wooden Guanyin in "royal ease" pose, Song dynasty
Lalitasana is a pose or mudra in Indian art and the art of dharmic religions in other countries. It is often called "the royal position" or "royal ease" in English, and is a relaxed pose typical in royal portraits and those of religious figures whose "kingly" attributes are being emphasized. The figure sits on a throne with one leg tucked inwards on the seat and the other hanging down ("pendent") to touch the ground or rest on a support (often a stylized lotus throne). Usually it is the proper right leg that dangles, but the reversed image can be found. Bare feet are normal. Asana is a general term for a seated pose, from Sanskrit: आसनāsana "sitting down" (from आस ās "to sit down"), a sitting posture, a seat.[1][2]
Some sources distinguish between the lalitasana posture, as described above, and the "royal ease" (maharajalilasana or rajalilasana), where the right leg (usually) is bent, and the foot rests on the same level as the sitting body, and the extended arm is placed on the raised knee.[3] With all variants the technical phrasing describes a figure as being "in" the pose: "seated in lalitasana".[4] Other sources regard the two as synonymous.[5]
The pose with an arm resting on a raised knee is especially seen in Chinese Buddhist art, for bodhisattva images,[6] but is found in Indian art from at least the 8th century,[7] with one famous example from the Ajanta Caves (the Naga-king illustrated below) probably dating to around 478.[8] It became associated in China with Guanyin from the late 9th century.[9] In many Chinese lalitasana postures, especially for Maitreya, the tucked-in leg rests on the other thigh, which is generally not seen in Indian art.[10]
^Monier-Williams, Monier (1899). "Asana". A Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Oxford Clarendon Press. p. 159.
^MacDonell, Arthur Anthony. "आसन". A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary. Digital Dictionaries of South Asia. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
^Harle, 216
^See museum and other references. Contradictory definitions and distinctions between the variants of the basic pose are seen in the sources.
^"Green Tara, Seated in Pose of Royal Ease (Lalitasana),...", Art Institute of Chicago, (a bronze with pendent leg)
^"Posture of Royal Ease", Chung Tai World Museum
^Asia, 130–132
^Craven, 129
^"Guanyin seated in Royal-ease pose, ca. 1250", Princeton University Art Museum
^"Contemplation Posture" and "Lalitasana Posture", Chung Tai World Museum
Lalitasana is a pose or mudra in Indian art and the art of dharmic religions in other countries. It is often called "the royal position" or "royal ease"...
position and other meditation seats, and in the "royal ease" position, lalitasana. With the popularity of yoga as exercise, asanas feature commonly in novels...
Trishira Trishira sits in lalitasana on a throne facing a fire altar in which a severed head is burning - Trichinopoly style painting Personal information...
iconography. Vasudhara is typically seated on a lotus flower base in the lalitasana, or royal pose, with one foot tucked in towards her and the other hanging...
City. Mañjuśrī crossing the sea. Japan. Bodhisattva Manjushri seated in lalitasana, from China, Jin Dynasty, 12th century CE. British Museum. Drawing of...
in dancing posture. In the Bhedaghat temple, the yoginis are seated in lalitasana, the royal position, and are surrounded by cremation-ground scenes complete...
chakreshvari devi is housed inside a smaller shrine. Chakreshvari is depicted in Lalitasana seated on garuda, with multiple hands holding various attributes. There...
Odisha in the classic local style very often have a figure of Gajalaxmi in lalitasana as their lalatabimba or central protective image over the doorway to a...
in dancing posture. In the Bhedaghat temple, the yoginis are seated in lalitasana. Chausathi Yogini Temple, Hirapur, Odisha, 2012. The yoginis have recently...
B/5 (8744) Shaldara-i depicts a well-preserved figure of Padmapani in lalitasana in pensive attitude on high asana. His right leg folded over the seat...
portrayed in statues and paintings as a young man or woman in a relaxed lalitasana pose beside a pond or lake with the moon reflected in the water, with...
Kalinga architecture style very often have a figure of Gajalakshmi in lalitasana as their lalatabimba or central protective image over the doorway to a...
epithet, Sri Sugandha Deva. Ardochsho (Goddess Lakshmi) is seen seated in Lalitasana in most of the coins and Sharda script is distinctly visible. Queen Didda...
the left side of shrine while one of yakshi Siddhaiki, seated in savya-lalitasana on a lion with a child on her lap, is on the right. The Indra Sabha (Cave...
adversary Andhakasura. All the Matrikas are depicted in a sitting position, Lalitasana, and bedecked with heavy jewellery. Scholars state that the concept of...
Udayagiri and Ratnagiri, including an emanation form of Amitabha seated in a lalitasana posture. Images of Hariti have also been found in Lalitgiri and also in...
son on left slap flanking with yaksha Gomedha as her consort sitting in lalitasana with 6 tirthankars in Kayotsarga posture engraved in the pedestal. The...
bands of later addition. At the lalatabimba there is Gajalaxmi sitting in lalitasana over a lotus pedestal flanked by full-blown lotus and elephants on either...
metres in x 0.90 metres. In the lintel there is a Gajalaxmi seated in lalitasana. The deity is four-armed, holding a lotus in her left arm and making varadamudra...
third detached sculpture is a two-armed Kartikeya sitting on a peacock in lalitasana. The fourth detached sculpture is a four-armed Narasimha image in his...
has a Jatamukuta. At the Lalatabimba there is a Gajalakshmi seated in lalitasana over a lotus pedestal. She holds lotus in her both hands; above the lotus...
eight rows. Most of these sculptures are in the full lotus posture or the Lalitasana pose. However, many of them also have their heads missing. Additionally...
There is a Parvati image inside the sanctum. The deity is seated in lalitasana pose over a bull and crowned with a kiritamukuta. The arms are broken...
left hand is in varada mudra. In the lalatabimba, Gajalaxmi is seated in lalitasana over a lotus pedestal. The deity is holding lotus in her left hand and...
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