Asanas for Japa: The Auspicious and the Inauspicious

When you do mantra sadhana, what should you sit upon?
What material should the asana be made of?
What does mantra shastra say about this?

तूलकम्बलवस्त्राणि पट्टव्याघ्रमृगाजिनम् कल्पयेदासनं धीमान् सौभाग्यज्ञानसिद्धिदम्

The natural tendency when you sit and chant is to go for a wooden asana.
Wooden asana is not good for mantra sadhana.
If you sit on a wooden asana and chant mantras, it will lead to poverty, diseases, and stress.

What is recommended for mantra japa is an asana made of cotton cloth, woollen cloth, or silk cloth.
These can promote intelligence, knowledge, and prosperity.
Of course, the best option is tiger skin or deer skin, but it is illegal — don't try to get it.

So, the only options available today are asanas made of cotton cloth, silk cloth, or woollen cloth.
Mantra shastra also speaks about the problems associated with other kinds of asanas.

If you sit on an asana made of grass other than darbha — you get those kinds of asanas particularly in the south, it is called pulpay — you will end up losing your good name and reputation.
तृणासने यशोहानिः

पल्लवे चित्तविभ्रमः — If you sit on tender leaves, it can lead to mental issues.

You might wonder, who would sit on tender leaves.
When Lord Rama and Lakshmana visited Sugreeva in exile at Rishyamukachala, Hanumanji offered tender leaves for Lakshmana to sit upon.
This must have been common then.
This only means that tender leaves are not suitable for mantra sadhana.
For general purposes you can use it — even wooden asanas.

What we are discussing here is only about mantra sadhana.
Whatever material we are finding not suitable for mantra sadhana, it only pertains to mantra sadhana and while chanting.
These are common materials which were otherwise used as seats.
You can use them for any other purpose.

When you say that while doing prayers you must face east or north, it doesn't mean that while watching TV also you have to face east or north.

The instructions about asana pertain only to the time when you are chanting mantra.

If you sit on an asana made of bamboo, it can lead to poverty —
वंशासने दरिद्रत्वम्

But cane is okay —
शांतिकम् वेत्रविष्टरम्

If you sit on a bare floor made of stone such as granite or marble —
पाषाणे व्याधिसंभवः — it can cause diseases.

धरण्यां दुःखसंभूतिः — If you sit on the ground, on soil, it will lead to dukha, grief.

दौर्भग्यं दारुकासने — Asana made of wood leads to daurbhagya — unfortunate events, bad luck, loss, and problems.

It is also not good to sit on a floor on which cow dung or mud is applied — straight on that, without an asana.

If you don't get anything else —
सर्वाभावे त्वासनार्थं कुशविष्टरमिष्यते —
If nothing else is available, you can go for an asana made of darbha or kusha.

But the first preference is asana made of cotton cloth, silk cloth, or woollen cloth.

Again, be clear that these rules are only for mantra sadhana.

Next time when your purohita comes and asks you to sit on a wooden asana, don't start quoting this.
Even there, you see — the karika would say —
दर्भेष्वासीनः — Sit on darbha only.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi