Yama: The first limb of Ashtanga Yoga

by Thirunavukkarasu Sivasubramaniam Blogger on classical yoga studies

This article was originally published at Classic Yoga|Yama

Yama is one of the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga. It is also the name of the God of death in Hindu Mythology. This article is not about the God of death, but it is about the first limb of Ashtanga Yoga.

Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi are the eight limbs of Yoga. The Yoga of these eight limbs is called Ashtanga Yoga which is one of the various versions of Raja Yoga discipline.

Meaning and Definition

Yama is the set of activities which one should abstain from. Trishikhibrahmana Upanishad defines Yama as "dehendriyeṣu vairāgyaṃ Yama" which means the detachment of the body from the sense organs is Yama.

Tejo Bindu Upanishad defines Yama as "the mastery over senses and continuous focusing upon the knowledge that Sarvam Brahma - All is Brahman."

The same definition is found in Aparokshanubuti of Sri Adi Sankara.

It is the practice of given virtues for the attainment of the yogic goal. It is the code of self-discipline. It is the adherence of the abstinence for the self-regulation.

Kinds of Yama

Yoga Sutra gives five-fold Yama; whereas Mandalabrahmana Upanishad gives four-fold Yama; Trisikhibrahmana Upanishad, Shandilya Upanishad, Darshana Upanishad, and Varaha Upanishad give ten kinds.

Yoga Sutra of Patanjali

Patanjali who was the pioneer of Raja Yoga gives five kinds of Yama. They are called Pancha Yamas. Sutra 2.30 says "ahimsa Satya asteya brahmacharya aparigraha yama". It means Non-injury, Truthfulness, Non-stealing, Celibacy, and Non-receiving are called Yama. Sutra 2.31 says "They become supreme vow when they are not limited by place, time, and situation".

Ahimsa or Non-injury. If Non-injury is established, all enmities cease in his presence. The same message is conveyed in Thirukkural verse 260 which says "He who is not engaged in killing and eating meat, is respectfully saluted by all beings."
Sathya or Truthfulness. If truthfulness is established, he attains the power of getting the fruits of action without action for him and others.
Asteya or Non-stealing. By non-stealing, he gets all wealth.
Brahmacharya or Continence. By celibacy, he attains all powers.
Aparigraha or Non-receiving. By non-receiving of gifts, he gets the memory of past life.

Trishikhibrahmana Upanisad

A ten-fold Yama is given in Trishikhibrahmana Upanishad.

Ahimsa or Non-killing
Sathya or Truthfulness
Asteya or Non-stealing
Brahmacharya or Celibacy
Daya or Compassion
Arjava or Morality
Shama or Forbearance
Drutir or Will power
Mithahara or Temperance in food
Sousa or Cleanliness

Mandalabrahmana Upanishad

Mandalabrahmana Upanishad gives a four-fold Yama.

Sitosna-Ahara-Nidra-Vijaya or Mastery over cold, heat, food, and sleep
Sarvata Shanthi or Permanent quietude
Nis-Salatvam or undisturbed mind
Vishayendirya Nigraha or Control of senses over the inputs (objects)

Shandilya Upanishad

Like Trishikhibrahmana Upanishad, Shandilya Upanishad prescribes a ten-fold Yama. The same list is repeated, but it goes a step further to explain each one of them.

Ahimsa or Non-Killing is the constant abstinence from causing pain or grief to other beings by the acts of mind, speech, and body.

Sathya or Truthfulness is the honest engagement of body, speech, and mind in the activities that benefit others.

Asteya or Non-stealing is the three-fold abstinence of body, speech, and mind from stealing things that belong to others.

Brahmacharya or Celibacy is the abstinence of body, speech, and mind from the activities that make bodily union in any form at any place.

Daya or Compassion is showing love for all beings in all places by the activities of body, speech, and mind.

Arjava or Morality is showing the same attitude towards the things prescribed by scriptures and the things prohibited, by means of the activities of body, speech, and mind.

Shama or Forbearance is accepting exalting commendations and nasty condemnations alike.

Drutir or Will power is the steadiness of the mind even in extreme cases of losing wealth or closed ones and gaining new wealth or closed ones.

Mithahara or Temperance of food is taking pure and healthy food leaving off the quarter of it.

Sausa or Cleanliness is internal as well as external cleanliness. External cleanliness comes with water and earth. Internal cleanliness is gained through Atma Vidya.

Darshana Upanishad

Darshana Upanishad also repeats the same list as enumerated in Shandilya Upanishad and Trisikhibrahmana Upanishad, but a different explanation to the ten-fold Yama.

Varaha Upanishad

The same ten-fold Yama is given in Varaha Upanishad. But it does not give a detailed explanation.

Conclusion

The five-fold Yama of Patanjali is most familiar. Of the five Yamas mentioned in Yoga Sutra, other scriptures take only the four of them leaving the fifth one: Aparigraha. In some of the yoga Upanishads like Amirta Nada Upanishad, Dhyana Bindu Upanishad, and Yoga Chudamani Upanishad, Yama and Niyama are completely excluded and only six limbs of Raja Yoga are explained.