The Yamas ( sa, यम, translit=Yama), and their complement, the

Niyama The Niyamas ( sa, नियम, translit=Niyama) are positive duties or observances. In Indian traditions, particularly Yoga, niyamas and their complement, Yamas, are recommended activities and habits for healthy living, spiritual enlightenmen ...

s, represent a series of "right living" or ethical rules within

Yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...

philosophy. It means "reining in" or "control". These are restraints for proper conduct as given in the

Vedas upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute th ...

and the

Yoga Sutras The ''Yoga Sutras of Patañjali'' is a collection of Sanskrit sutras ( aphorisms) on the theory and practice of yoga – 195 sutras (according to Vyāsa and Krishnamacharya) and 196 sutras (according to others, including BKS Iyengar). The ...

. They are a form of moral imperatives, commandments, rules or goals. The Yamas are the "don't do these" list of self-restraints, typically representing commitments that affect one's relations with others and self. The complementary Niyamas represent the "do these" list of observances, and together Yamas and Niyamas are personal obligations to live well.

Judith Lasater Judith Lasater (born 8 March 1947) is an American yoga teacher and writer in the San Francisco Bay Area, recognized as one of the leading teachers in the country. She helped to found The California Yoga Teachers Association, the Iyengar Yoga Inst ...

(1998), Beginning the Journey, ''

Yoga Journal ''Yoga Journal'' is a website and digital journal, formerly a print magazine, on yoga as exercise founded in California in 1975 with the goal of combining the essence of traditional yoga with scientific understanding. It has produced live events ...

'', Nov-Dec Issue, pages 42-48 The earliest mention of ''Yamas'' is in the

Rigveda The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' ( ', from ' "praise" and ' "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts ('' śruti'') known as the Vedas. Only on ...

, and over fifty texts of Hinduism, from its various traditions, discuss Yamas.

Patañjali Patanjali ( sa, पतञ्जलि, Patañjali), also called Gonardiya or Gonikaputra, was a Hindu author, mystic and philosopher. Very little is known about him, and while no one knows exactly when he lived; from analysis of his works it i ...

lists five yamas in his Yoga Sūtras of Patanjali. Ten yamas are codified as "the restraints" in numerous Hindu texts, including Yajnavalkya Smriti in verse 3.313, the Śāṇḍilya and

Vārāha Upanishad ''Varaha Upanishad'' ( sa, वराह उपनिषद्, "boar") is a minor Upanishad of Hinduism composed between the 13th and 16th centuries CE. Composed in Sanskrit, it is listed as one of the 32 Krishna Yajurveda Upanishads, and classi ...

s, the ''

Hatha Yoga Pradipika The ''Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā'' ( or Light on Hatha Yoga) is a classic fifteenth-century Sanskrit manual on haṭha yoga, written by Svātmārāma, who connects the teaching's lineage to Matsyendranath of the Nathas. It is among the most in ...

'' by Svātmārāma, and the

Tirumantiram The ''Tirumantiram or Thirumantiram'' is a Tamil poetic work, written either in the 6th century CE or post 10th century CE by Tirumular and is the tenth of the twelve volumes of the ''Tirumurai'', the key texts of Saiva Siddhanta and the first ...

Tirumular Tirumular (also spelt Thirumoolar etc., originally known as Suntaranāthar) was a Tamil Shaivite mystic and writer, considered one of the sixty-three Nayanmars and one of the 18 Siddhars. His main work, the ''Tirumantiram'' (also sometimes w ...

. The most often mentioned Yamas are

Ahimsa Ahimsa (, IAST: ''ahiṃsā'', ) is the ancient Indian principle of nonviolence which applies to all living beings. It is a key virtue in most Indian religions: Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.Bajpai, Shiva (2011). The History of India � ...

(non-violence),

Satya ''Satya'' (Sanskrit: सत्य; IAST: ''satya)'' is a Sanskrit word loosely translated as truth, essence. A. A. Macdonell, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Asian Educational Services, , pp. 330–331 It also refers to a virtue in Indian relig ...

(non-falsehood, truthfulness),

Asteya ''Achourya'' (Sanskrit: अचौर्यः, IAST: Acauryaḥ ) or ''Asteya'' (Sanskrit: अस्तेय; IAST: ''asteya'') is the Sanskrit term for "non-stealing". It is a virtue in Hinduism . The practice of ''asteya'' demands that one mus ...

(non-stealing),

Mitahara ''Mitahara'' () literally means the habit of moderate food. Mitahara is also a concept in Indian philosophy, particularly Yoga, that integrates awareness about food, drink, balanced diet and consumption habits and its effect on one's body and mind ...

(non-excess in food, moderation in food), Kṣamā (non-agitation about suffering, forgiveness), and Dayā (non-prejudgment, compassion). The Yamas apply broadly and include self-restraints in one's actions, words and thoughts.

Etymology and meaning

The earliest mention of Yamas is found in the Hindu scripture Rigveda, such as in verse 5.61.2, and later in the

Jain Agamas Jain literature ( Sanskrit: जैन साहित्य) refers to the literature of the Jain religion. It is a vast and ancient literary tradition, which was initially transmitted orally. The oldest surviving material is contained in the c ...

.Monier Monier-Williams, Sanskrit English Dictionary with Etymology, Oxford University Press, Entry for Yama, page 846 The word in the Rigveda means a "rein, curb", the act of checking or curbing, restraining such as by a charioteer or a driver. The term evolves into a moral restraint and ethical duty in the

. The Yamas were explained in detail by

in the ''Yoga Sūtras of Patanjali'' as the first step of the 8-fold path of yogic philosophy and practice for attaining enlightenment and union of the mind, body and soul. The English term Yamas is derived from the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...

word, Yama, meaning "restraint," states Stephen Sturgess, particularly "from actions, words, or thoughts that may cause harm".

Yamas by source

The number of Yamas varies with the source: At least sixty (60) ancient and medieval era Indian texts are known so far that discuss Yamas.SV Bharti (2001), ''Yoga Sutras of Patanjali'': With the Exposition of Vyasa, Motilal Banarsidas, , Appendix I, pages 672-680 Most are in Sanskrit, but some are in regional Indian languages. Of the sixty, the lists in eleven of these texts are similar, but not the same, as that of Patanjali's. Other texts list between 1 and 10 ''Yamas'', however 10 is the most common. The order of listed yamas, the names and nature of each yamas, as well as the relative emphasis vary between the texts. Some texts use the reverse of

s in other texts, as Yamas; for example, ''Vairagya'' (dispassion from hedonism, somewhat reverse of the niyama ''Tapas'') is described in verse 33 of Trishikhi Brahmana Upanishad in its list for Yamas. Many texts substitute one or more different concepts in their list of Yamas. For example, in the ten Yamas listed by Yatidharma Sangraha,

Akrodha Akrodha (Sanskrit: अक्रोध) literally means "free from anger". It's considered an important virtue in Indian philosophy and Hindu ethics. Etymology ''Akrodha'' is a fusion word between the Sanskrit prefix ''a'' (Sanskrit: अ; "without ...

(non-anger) is included as a Yamas. Ahirbudhnya Samhita in verse 31.19 and Darshana Upanishad in verses 1.14-15 include '' Dayā'' as a Yamas, and explain it as the ethical restraint of not jumping to conclusions, being compassionate to every being and considering suffering of others as one's own. In verse 31.21, Ahirbudhnya Samhita includes Kṣamā as the virtue of forgiveness and restraint from continued agitation from wrong others have done. Mahakala Samhita in verses II.11.723 through II.11.738 lists many of the 10 Yamas above, but explains why it is a virtue in a different way. For example, the text explains ''Dayā'' (or Dayaa) is an ethical precept and the restraint from too much and too little emotions. It suggests ''Dayā'' reflects one's inner state, is the expression of kindness towards kin, friend, stranger and even a hostile person, and that one must remain good and kind no matter what the circumstances. Refraining from maintaining or teaching ethics gives excuse to deceit and even lying to one's guru to advance in position and life. This view for the Yamas of ''Dayā'' is shared in Shandilya Upanishad and Jabala Darshana Upanishad. Atri Samhita in verse 48, lists ''Anrshamsya'' (आनृशंस्य) as the restraint from cruelty to any living being by one's actions, words or in thoughts. Shivayoga Dipika in verse 2.9 substitutes ''Sunrta'' for ''Satya'', defining Sunrta as "sweet and true speech". The Yamas is the foundations of yoga and are a type of living and being.

, Kṣamā, Dayā are among the widely discussed Yamas ethical concepts by majority of these texts.

References

{{Hindudharma Eight limbs of yoga Hindu philosophical concepts Ethical issues in religion Hindu ethics

Etymology and meaning

Yamas by source

See also

References