yamas
Sign in to saveThe '''''' (), and their complement, the niyamas, represent a series of "right living" or ethical rules within Yoga philosophy. The word means "reining in" or "control". They are restraints for proper conduct given in the Vedas and the Yoga Sutras as moral imperatives, commandments, rules or goals. The are a "don't"s list of self-restraints, typically representing commitments that affect one's relations with others and self. The complementary represent the "do"s. Together and are personal obligations to live well.
~5 min read
Article
5 sectionsContents
- Etymology and meaning
- Yamas by source
- See also
- References
- Further reading
The '''''' (), and their complement, the niyamas, represent a series of "right living" or ethical rules within Yoga philosophy. The word means "reining in" or "control". They are restraints for proper conduct given in the Vedas and the Yoga Sutras as moral imperatives, commandments, rules or goals. The are a "don't"s list of self-restraints, typically representing commitments that affect one's relations with others and self. The complementary represent the "do"s. Together and are personal obligations to live well.
The earliest mention of is in the Rigveda. More than fifty texts of Hinduism, from its various traditions, discuss . Patañjali lists five in his Yoga Sūtras. Ten yamas are codified as "the restraints" in numerous Hindu texts, including Yajnavalkya Smriti in verse 3.313, the Śāṇḍilya and Vārāha Upanishads, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Svātmārāma, and the Tirumantiram of Tirumular.