Lalitasana

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: आसन āsana "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]