The Eight Limbs of Yoga: Yama and Niyama

Verse 1 (garuda.1.238.1)

श्रीभगवानुवाच । यमश्च नियम.पार्थ आसनं प्राणसंयमः । प्रत्याहारस्तथा ध्यानं धारणार्जुन सप्तमी

śrībhagavānuvāca yamaśca niyama.pārtha āsanaṁ prāṇasaṁyamaḥ pratyāhārastathā dhyānaṁ dhāraṇārjuna saptamī

The Blessed Lord said: Yama and niyama, O Partha, asana, control of the breath, pratyahara, and likewise dhyana, and dharana as the seventh, O Arjuna —

Verse 2 (garuda.1.238.2)

समाधिरिति चाष्टाङ्गो योग उक्तो विमुक्तये । कर्मणा मनसा वाचा सर्वभूतेषु सर्वदा

samādhiriti cāṣṭāṅgo yoga ukto vimuktaye karmaṇā manasā vācā sarvabhūteṣu sarvadā

— and samadhi: thus is the eightfold yoga declared, for liberation. By action, by mind, and by speech, toward all beings, at all times —

Verse 3 (garuda.1.238.3)

हिंसाविरामको धर्मो ह्याहिंसा परमं सुखम् । विधिना या भवेद्धिंसा सा त्वहिंसा प्रकीर्तिता

hiṁsāvirāmako dharmo hyāhiṁsā paramaṁ sukham vidhinā yā bhaveddhiṁsā sā tvahiṁsā prakīrtitā

— dharma is that which restrains violence; non-violence is indeed the supreme happiness. That violence which occurs according to scriptural injunction is itself declared to be non-violence.

Verse 4 (garuda.1.238.4)

सत्यं ब्रूयात्प्रियं ब्रूयान्न ब्रूयात्सत्यमप्रियम् । प्रियं च नानृतं ब्रूयादेष धर्मः सनातनः

satyaṁ brūyātpriyaṁ brūyānna brūyātsatyamapriyam priyaṁ ca nānṛtaṁ brūyādeṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ

One should speak truth, one should speak what is pleasant; one should not speak an unpleasant truth. Nor should one speak a pleasant falsehood — this is the eternal dharma.

Verse 5 (garuda.1.238.5)

यच्चद्रव्यापहरणं चौर्याद्वाथ बलेन वा । स्तेयं तस्यानाचरणमस्तेयं धर्मसाधनम्

yaccadravyāpaharaṇaṁ cauryādvātha balena vā steyaṁ tasyānācaraṇamasteyaṁ dharmasādhanam

Whatever taking of another's property, whether by theft or by force, is called stealing; abstention from that is asteya, a means of dharma.

Verse 6 (garuda.1.238.6)

कर्मणा मनसा वाचा सर्वावस्थासु सर्वदा । सर्वत्र मैथुनत्यागं ब्रह्मचर्यं प्रचक्षते

karmaṇā manasā vācā sarvāvasthāsu sarvadā sarvatra maithunatyāgaṁ brahmacaryaṁ pracakṣate

By action, by mind, and by speech, in all states, at all times, everywhere, the renunciation of sexual union is declared to be brahmacharya.

Verse 7 (garuda.1.238.7)

द्रव्याणामप्यनादानमापत्स्वपि तथेच्छया । अपरिग्रहमित्याहुस्तं प्रयत्नेन वर्जयेत्

dravyāṇāmapyanādānamāpatsvapi tathecchayā aparigrahamityāhustaṁ prayatnena varjayet

Not taking possessions even in times of distress, and likewise out of desire — this is called aparigraha; one should carefully cultivate it.

Verse 8 (garuda.1.238.8)

द्विधा शौचं मृज्जलाभ्यां बाह्य भावादथान्तरात् । यदृच्छालाभतस्तुष्टिः सन्तोषः सुखलक्षणम्

dvidhā śaucaṁ mṛjjalābhyāṁ bāhya bhāvādathāntarāt yadṛcchālābhatastuṣṭiḥ santoṣaḥ sukhalakṣaṇam

Purity is twofold: outer, through earth and water, and inner, through purity of feeling. Contentment, the mark of happiness, is satisfaction with whatever comes of itself.

Verse 9 (garuda.1.238.9)

मनसश्चैन्द्रियाणां च ऐकाग्र्यं परमं तपः । शरीरशोषणं वापि कृच्छ्रचान्द्रायणादिभिः

manasaścaindriyāṇāṁ ca aikāgryaṁ paramaṁ tapaḥ śarīraśoṣaṇaṁ vāpi kṛcchracāndrāyaṇādibhiḥ

One-pointedness of the mind and the senses is the supreme austerity, as is also the drying up of the body through the Krichchhra, Chandrayana, and similar penances.

Verse 10 (garuda.1.238.10)

वेदान्तशतरुद्रीयप्रणवादिजप बुधाः । सत्त्वशुद्धिकरं पुंसां स्वाध्यायं परिचक्षते

vedāntaśatarudrīyapraṇavādijapa budhāḥ sattvaśuddhikaraṁ puṁsāṁ svādhyāyaṁ paricakṣate

The wise declare svadhyaya to be the recitation of the Vedanta, the Shatarudriya hymn, the pranava, and the like — that which purifies the sattva of men.

Verse 11 (garuda.1.238.11)

स्तुतिस्मरणपूजादिवाङ्मनः कायकर्मभिः । अनिश्चला हरौ भक्तिरेतदीश्वरचिन्तनम् । आसनं स्वस्तिकं प्रोक्तं पद्ममर्धासनं तथा

stutismaraṇapūjādivāṅmanaḥ kāyakarmabhiḥ aniścalā harau bhaktiretadīśvaracintanam āsanaṁ svastikaṁ proktaṁ padmamardhāsanaṁ tathā

Unwavering devotion to Hari through praise, remembrance, worship, and the like, by the actions of speech, mind, and body — this is contemplation of the Lord. Asana is declared to be the Svastika-pose, and likewise the Lotus and Ardhasana poses.

Verse 12 (garuda.1.238.12)

प्राणः स्वदेहजो वायुरायामस्तन्निरोधनम् । इन्द्रियाणां विचरतां विषयेषु त्वसत्स्विव

prāṇaḥ svadehajo vāyurāyāmastannirodhanam indriyāṇāṁ vicaratāṁ viṣayeṣu tvasatsviva

Prana is the breath born within one's own body; ayama is its restraint. Pratyahara is the withdrawal of the senses, which wander among sense-objects, as though those objects were unreal.