yoga-paTTa

[Michael Rabe]

Friends,

A fellow-instructor at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago--someone
who has been practicing ashtangi-yoga far longer than Madonna, I might
add--is currently researching the iconography of yoga-straps in Indian art
and contemporary meditational practice.  Though I am able to direct him to
numerous visual occurences instances of the motif [from the North torana at
Sanchi to the 16th c.Caurapanchashika mss. illuminations] neither of us
have been able to locate any textual references to this accouterment.

Here is Monier-Williams's citation: yoga-paTTa[ka] (HarSa-carita, PadmaP):
m. the cloth thrown over the back and knees of a devotee during meditation.

And the obvious query: if any one can direct us to a chapter and verse in
either cited work, or elsewhere, we'd be much obliged.

Much Thanks,
Michael Rabe
Assoc. Prof. of Art History
Saint Xavier University
&
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago