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{{Short description|Ethical rules in Hinduism and Yoga}}{{About|the concept in Hinduism|the deity|Yama|the police unit|Yamas (Israel Border Police unit)}}{{Hinduism}}{{Contains special characters|Indic}}The {{transliteration|sa|yamas}} (), and their complement, the niyamas, represent a series of “right living” or ethical rules within Yoga philosophy. The word {{transliteration|sa|yama}} 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 {{transliteration|sa|yamas}} are a “don’t“s list of self-restraints, typically representing commitments that affect one’s relations with others and self. The complementary {{transliteration|sa|niyamas}} represent the “do“s. Together {{transliteration|sa|yamas}} and {{transliteration|sa|niyamas}} are personal obligations to live well.JOURNAL, Judith Lasater, Judith, Lasater, November–December 1998, Beginning the Journey, Yoga Journal, 42–48, The earliest mention of {{transliteration|sa|yamas}} is in the Rigveda. More than fifty texts of Hinduism, from its various traditions, discuss {{transliteration|sa|yamas}}. Patañjali lists five {{transliteration|sa|yamas}} in his Yoga SÅ«tras. 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.{{multiref2! No. !! 5 YamasYogasÅ«tra 2.30BOOK, Ä€gāśe, K. S., PātañjalayogasÅ«trāṇi, 1904, Ä€nandāśrama, Puṇe, 102,archive.org/stream/patanjaliyoga/yoga_sutras_three_commentaries#page/n111/mode/2up, cf. Ethics of Jainism !! 10 YamasŚāṇḍilya Upanishad,BOOK, K. N., Aiyar, 1914, Thirty Minor Upanishads, Kessinger Publishing, 978-1164026419, 173–176, SvātmārāmaBOOK, The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Svātmārāma, Svātmārāma, Pancham Sinh, Forgotten Books, 5, 1997,books.google.com/books?id=9sBFttVx6ukC, 978-1605066370, 14, अथ यम-नियमाः अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेयं बरह्यछर्यम कश्हमा धृतिः दयार्जवं मिताहारः शौछम छैव यमा दश १७, {{multiref2| 1 | 2| 3 | 4

	LAST=RAMASWAMI	PUBLISHER=INNER TRADITIONS / BEAR & COMPANY	ISBN=978-0892818204, 229,		LAST=DEVANAND	PUBLISHER=APH PUBLISHING	URL=HTTPS://BOOKS.GOOGLE.COM/BOOKS?ID=L3MBLHWXGPSC	QUOTE=YAMA IS A “MORAL RESTRAINT” OR RULE FOR LIVING VIRTUOUSLY. TEN YAMAS ARE CODIFIED IN NUMEROUS SCRIPTURES, INCLUDING THE HATHA YOGA PRADEEPIKA COMPILED BY YOGI SWATMARAMA, WHILE PATANJALI LISTS FIVE YAMAS AND FIVE NIYAMAS (DISCIPLINES) IN THE YOGA SUTRAS., }}The {{transliteration|sa|yamas}} apply broadly and include self-restraints in one’s actions, words, and thoughts.JOURNAL, Debra, Weiss, 2006, Ahimsa: Nonviolence from a Yoga Perspective, Fellowship, 72, 1–2, 25, Etymology and meaning The earliest mention of {{transliteration|sa|yamas}} is found in the Hindu scripture Rigveda, such as in verse 5.61.2, and later in the Jain Agamas.BOOK, Monier, Monier-Williams, Sanskrit English Dictionary with Etymology, Oxford University Press, Yama, 846, WEB, June 30, 2021, Yama,www.unitedwecare.com/self-care/yoga/types-of-yoga/raja-yoga/8-limbs-of-yoga/yama, United We Care, Sanskrit: क्व वोऽश्वाः क्वाभीशवः कथं शेक कथा यय । पृष्ठे सदो नसोर्यमः ॥२॥ (ऋग्वेद: सूक्तं ५.६१ Rigveda, Wikisource) The word {{transliteration|sa|yama}} 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 Jain Agamas.BOOK, Michael, Palmer, Stanley, Burgess, 2012, The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Religion and Social Justice, John Wiley & Sons, 978-1405195478, 114, The {{transliteration|sa|yamas}} were explained in detail by Patañjali in the Yoga SÅ«tras of Patanjali as the first step of the eight-fold path of yogic philosophy and practice for attaining enlightenment and union of the mind, body and soul.{{transliteration|sa|Yamas}} means “restraint”, particularly “from actions, words, or thoughts that may cause harm”.BOOK, Yoga Meditation: Still Your Mind and Awaken Your Inner Spirit, Sturgess, Stephen, Watkins Publishing Limited, 2014, 978-1-78028-644-0, Oxford, UK, 18–19, Yamas by source The number of Yamas varies with the source:{| class=“wikitable”
	TITLE=THE KāPāLIKAS AND KāLāMUKHAS	PUBLISHER=UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS	PAGES=186–190,archive.org/details/kapalikaskalamuk0000lore/page/186,		PUBLISHER=HIMALAYAN ACADEMY PUBLICATIONS	ISBN=978-0945497998	URL=HTTPS://BOOKS.GOOGLE.COM/BOOKS?ID=JUPKNVXFWHGC, }}
Ahiṃsā (अहिंसा): Nonviolence
Satya (सत्य): Truthfulness (Not lying)
Asteya (अस्तेय): Not stealing
Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्य): Chastity,ARTI>LAST=DHAND	TITLE=THE DHARMA OF ETHICS, THE ETHICS OF DHARMA: QUIZZING THE IDEALS OF HINDUISM	VOLUME=30	PAGES=347–372, 10.1111/1467-9795.00113, marital fidelity, sexual restraint{{multiref2

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	YEAR=2001	PUBLISHER=TUTTLE	PAGE=3,		YEAR=2009	PUBLISHER=IB TAURIS	PAGES=101, 109, The fourth vow—brahmacarya—means for laypersons, marital fidelity and pre-marital celibacy; for ascetics, it means absolute celibacy; John Cort explains, ‘Brahmacharya involves having sex only with one’s spouse, as well as the avoidance of ardent gazing or lewd gestures...’, }}
Aparigraha (अपरिग्रहः): Non-avarice, non-possessiveness
		Forgiveness#Hinduism>Kṣamā (क्षमा): Patience, forgiveness.STUART>LAST=SOVATSKY	TITLE=WORDS FROM THE SOUL: TIME, EAST/WEST SPIRITUALITY, AND PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC NARRATIVE	ISBN=978-0791439494, 21,
	| Dhrti (धृति): Fortitude, perseverance with the aim to reach the goal
		Compassion#Hinduism>Dayā (दया): Compassion
		Ārjava (आर्जव): Non-hypocrisy, sincerityJADUNATH	TITLE=INDIAN PSYCHOLOGY	VOLUME=2	OCLC=1211693,
		Mitahara>Mitāhāra (मिताहार): Measured diet

At least sixty ancient and medieval era Indian texts are known that discuss {{transliteration|sa|yamas}}.BOOK, S.V., Bharti, 2001, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: With the Exposition of Vyasa, Motilal Banarsidas, 978-8120818255, 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 one and ten {{transliteration|sa|yamas}}; however, ten is the most common.The order of listed {{transliteration|sa|yamas}}, the names and nature of each {{transliteration|sa|yama}}, as well as the relative emphasis vary between the texts. Some texts use the reverse of {{transliteration|sa|niyamas}} in other texts, as {{transliteration|sa|yamas}}; for example, {{transliteration|sa|vairagya}} (dispassion from hedonism, somewhat reverse of the {{transliteration|sa|niyama}} {{transliteration|sa|tapas}}) is described in verse 33 of Trishikhi Brahmana Upanishad in its list of {{transliteration|sa|yamas}}. Many texts substitute one or more different concepts in their list of {{transliteration|sa|yamas}}. For example, in the ten {{transliteration|sa|yamas}} listed by Yatidharma Sangraha, {{transliteration|sa|akrodha}} (non-anger) is included as a {{transliteration|sa|yama}}. Ahirbudhnya Samhita in verse 31.19 and Darshana Upanishad in verses 1.14-15 include {{transliteration|sa|dayā}} as a {{transliteration|sa|yama}}, 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.BOOK, Varenne, Jean, Yoga and the Hindu Tradition, University of Chicago Press, 1976, 978-0-226-85116-7, 197–202, In verse 31.21, Ahirbudhnya Samhita includes {{transliteration|sa|ká¹£amā}} as the virtue of forgiveness and restraint from continued agitation from wrong others have done. Mahakala Samhita in verses II.11.723 through II.11.738BOOK,sanskritdocuments.org/scannedbooks/forencoding/mahAkAlISamhitaGuhyakalikhandaPart2.pdf, Mahakala Samhita, Government of India Archives, sa, 302–304, lists many of the ten {{transliteration|sa|yamas}} above, but explains why it is a virtue in a different way. For example, the text explains {{transliteration|sa|dayā}} is an ethical precept and the restraint from too much and too little emotions. It suggests {{transliteration|sa|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. This view of {{transliteration|sa|dayā}} is shared in Shandilya Upanishad and Jabala Darshana Upanishad.BOOK, Gajendragadkar, K. V., Neo-upanishadic philosophy, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay, 1959, 1555808, Atri Samhita in verse 48, lists {{transliteration|sa|anrshamsya}} ()WEB,spokensanskrit.de/index.php?script=HK&beginning=0+&tinput=AnRzaMsya+&trans=Translate&direction=AU, dead, AnRzaMsya, Sanskrit-English Dictionary,spokensanskrit.de/index.php?script=HK&beginning=0+&tinput=AnRzaMsya+&trans=Translate&direction=AU," title="web.archive.org/web/20141230151621spokensanskrit.de/index.php?script=HK&beginning=0+&tinput=AnRzaMsya+&trans=Translate&direction=AU,">web.archive.org/web/20141230151621spokensanskrit.de/index.php?script=HK&beginning=0+&tinput=AnRzaMsya+&trans=Translate&direction=AU, 2014-12-30, as the restraint from cruelty to any living being by one’s actions, words or in thoughts. Shivayoga Dipika in verse 2.9 substitutes {{transliteration|sa|sunrta}} for {{transliteration|sa|satya}}, defining {{transliteration|sa|sunrta}} as “sweet and true speech”.

See also

• {{annotated link|Dama}}
• {{annotated link|Niyama}}
• {{annotated link|Religious vows}}
• {{annotated link|Samatva}}

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

Further reading

• WEB, Swaraj Ji, 11 October 2022, Discover the Foundations of Yoga: Yama and Niyamas,namasteyogaschool.com/blog/the-yamas-and-niyamas/, 11 October 2022, Namaste Yoga School,

{{Yoga}}{{Hindudharma}}{{virtues}}{{Authority control}}