Parivritta (Revolved; turned around): Meaning and Definition

What does Parivritta literally mean?

Parivritta is formed from the prefix pari, which can convey movement around or about, and the verbal root vrt, associated with turning, revolving, returning, or occurring. The participial ending gives the sense of something that has turned, revolved, or gone around.

Grammatically, parivritta functions as an adjective or past participle. In an asana name, it modifies the name of the posture. The most direct contextual translations are “revolved,” “turned,” or “turned around.”

• Primary yoga translation: revolved
• Other direct translations: turned around, turned back
• Broader dictionary senses: returned, retreated, exchanged, finished, or ended

How is Parivritta used in yoga pose names?

In modern postural yoga, parivritta commonly marks a variation involving rotation across the body’s central axis. Parivritta Trikonasana is Revolved Triangle Pose, while Parivritta Parsvakonasana is Revolved Side Angle Pose. Other familiar examples include Parivritta Ardha Chandrasana and Parivritta Janu Sirsasana.

The English word “twisted” is often used informally when teaching these poses. “Revolved” remains the closer translation for the Sanskrit name. Parivritta describes the pose’s turned orientation rather than providing a complete anatomical instruction.

The exact shape associated with a parivritta pose can vary among yoga schools. Teachers should identify the specific movement they intend instead of assuming that the Sanskrit modifier alone communicates pelvic position, spinal rotation, hand placement, or range of motion.

• Parivritta Trikonasana: Revolved Triangle Pose
• Parivritta Parsvakonasana: Revolved Side Angle Pose
• Parivritta Ardha Chandrasana: Revolved Half Moon Pose
• Parivritta Janu Sirsasana: Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose

Is Parivritta the same as Parsva or Viparita?

Parivritta, parsva, and viparita can all describe changes to a base posture, but they do not mean the same thing. Parivritta indicates turning or revolving. Parsva refers to the side or flank and often indicates a sideways orientation or lateral variation. Viparita means reversed, opposite, or inverted.

These distinctions matter when reading asana names. A parsva variation may involve side bending or turning toward one side without being named parivritta. A viparita posture may reverse the body’s usual relationship to gravity without emphasizing a twist.

• Parivritta: revolved or turned around
• Parsva: side, flank, or lateral
• Viparita: reversed, opposite, or inverted

How do you pronounce Parivritta?

For English-speaking students, an accessible approximation is “puh-ri-VRIT-tuh.” Keep the first two syllables short. The middle sound written “vri” should be compact rather than stretched into “vree.”

The doubled t represents a held or clearly articulated consonant in Sanskrit. In ordinary American yoga-class speech, this distinction is often softened, but pausing slightly between “vrit” and “ta” produces a closer pronunciation.

• Syllables: pa-ri-vrit-ta
• Avoid pronouncing the middle syllable as “vree”
• Give the doubled t a slightly longer articulation