Yamas and Niyamas: 7 Sadhana Rules

Highlights of Yamas and Niyamas

• Must be learned under a Guru
• Essential for any Yoga path
• Prevents spiritual delusion
• Builds a life of truth and integrity
• Eliminates karmic burdens
• Leads to higher spiritual perception
• Ensures true surrender to God

Yamas and Niyamas are the basis of any Sadhana Process

In this video post, we shall focus on the 5 Yamas and 5 Niyamas that are mandatory for serious spiritual practice. In yoga, Yamas and Niyamas are of paramount importance. Know that Yoga is just not about physical exercises or asana.There are 8 limbs of yoga categorically mentioned in Patanjali Maharshi’s Yoga Sutras namely Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.

But taking it further, one must note that following of Yamas and Niyamas is an indispensable part of any form of Yoga be it Jnana, Bhakti, Karma, Raja or Kriya Yoga. It becomes vital to follow the Yamas and Niyamas since these two aspects represent the soul of yoga.

Here I am covering the two crucial limbs of yoga, namely the  Yamas and Niyamas. In Sanskrit the word Yama literally means observance of moral discipline. The Shandilya yoga sutras describe 10 types of Yamas.

Taking Shelter of Guru is Mandatory before following Yamas and Niyamas

Having said that, it is almost impossible to progress with Yamas and Niyamas, if we are not under a shelter of a qualified spiritual master who has perfected himself in these practices and lives a pure life free of Name, Fame, free from attraction towards Wealth and Prosperity and also does not seek disciples actively. Only under such a perfected Guru can one even enter the domain of Yamas and Niyamas, by trying to surrender one’s hard shell of Ego at the feet of the Guru. This is the most important highlight of this topic.

However, According to the Patanjali Yoga Sutras there are 5 Yamas and 5 Niyamas. Without following Yamas and Niyamas, sadhana shall never bear fruit. It is common practice nowadays where people do practices like meditation and Nama Japa without adhering to the principles of Truth as included in Yamas and Niyamas. 

This is a disturbance and then the practices just become a futile exercise that takes you nowhere without an inch of inner progress. Such incomplete practices will only take you far away from the goal of enlightenment. It may, on the other hand, take you into delusion rather than taking you closer to Truth. Whatever, one’s race, caste or creed. 

The Five Yamas (यम)

Yamas are universal principles applicable for all, irrespective of country, caste, creed, gender etc. The Yamas are like the gravitational force that is universal all over this planet. For life to function smoothly according to the not-so evident spiritual rules one must follow Yamas without exception.

Yamas are universal principles that are eternal and unchangeable. Going against Yamas means to violate the fabric of Life. They are the limbs of Sanatana Dharma that define a human being. The 5 Yamas are Ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (abstinence) and aparigraha (non-hoarding).

Non-Violence (अहिंसा)

Now I shall explain each of the Yamas and Niyamas in brief.The first Yama is Ahimsa or non-violence. Ahimsa holds a very special place in religious texts. Every religion emphasises the importance of Ahimsa, be it Buddhism, Jainism, or even Hinduism. The two religious leaders, Buddha and Mahavir strongly stood for Ahimsa.

Here ahimsa simply doesn’t mean abstinence from animal slaughter. It means non-violence in thought, word and deed. Non-violence in thought means not harbouring any hatred in the mind. It means, not to plot and connive against people. It means to adhere to the principle of non-exploitation. Negative emotions are a form of Himsa or Violence. 

Hence even at the initial stages of following the philosophy of non-violence, even if compassion has not developed in the heart, because of the innumerable sins that we have committed in our past incarnations, one should, as a practice keep away from too much interaction with things and people thereby increasing our chances of following the principle of non-violence at least at the action or word levels. The mind level non-violence at this stage can be very difficult to attain. Yet if one is committed to this value system, one can see great progress on the spiritual path. 

Consuming non-veg food is a type of insensitivity that promotes unconscious hatred and violence, however good a person may appear to be. It does not matter whether this person appears to be loving, compassionate or even caring. It should also be admitted that vegetarians are not exempted from hatred and violence by default. A person can be free from hatred completely only if he adheres to the complete set of Yamas and Niyamas, never otherwise.

7/8 Questions from Sanatana Dharma

The scores generated in this Quiz may or may not be absolute. There may be right or wrong answers to each Question. A percentage towards 100 indicates that you are more aligned to the overall subject matter.

Truth (सत्य)

The second Yama is Satya or Truthfulness. Know that a truthful person is fearless. Truth or Satya is another name of God. The Lord shall always be with the one who is truthful. Truthfulness develops only when one is free of expectations. One should be straightforward in one’s dealings and should not have ulterior motives, a rare quality to possess in this dark age of Kali Yuga.  For example, The Pandavas were truthful because of which Lord Krishna was always by their side.  By lying, one becomes morally weak and loses hold on life. Such a person’s life is bound to be highly unpredictable.

Know that Truth gives power. By being truthful one develops a charismatic personality. The Lord being pleased drives every action of such a practitioner. Truth should be observed with the intention of goodness and welfare. But this cannot be faked. It has to be lived by, possible only through constant association of one’s perfected Spiritual Master.

Truth spoken with the intention of hurt and hatred is adharma of the highest order. In today’s times, the simple idea of following Yamas shall greatly improve the quality of life. This is perhaps the greatest and the most powerful sadhana. Adhering to Yamas, shall increase happiness levels and lead to overall well-being.

Non-Stealing (अस्तेय)

The third Yamas is Asteya or non-stealing. Stealing is a result of dissatisfaction and extreme uncontrollable greed to possess. Stealing should be avoided at the thought, word and deed level. A thief never finds peace.

Taking credit for another man’s work is perhaps the most common white-collared theft performed by even the so-called rich and famous. It is an unpardonable offense.  Even with the mind, one should not eye things that belong to others. Stealing is an instinctual and animistic tendency.

In the animal kingdom, stealing defines animals. However humans are gifted with higher intelligence. The purpose of non-stealing is to rise above the animistic instincts and find contentment.

Celibacy (ब्रह्मचर्य)

The next Yama is Brahmacharya or celibacy.

Brahmacharya helps in developing Ojas Shakti which directly aids the realization of the Self.

One should direct the Ojas Shakti towards positive and progressive actions thus increasing happiness and contentment.

Each gender should associate with the spiritual master often and surrender one’s lust at the feet of the master in all sincerity. Even thinking about associating with any gender to satisfy one’s carnal desire is a break of continence. This, one must uproot within oneself through sincere attempts of Prayer and surrender.

Non-hoarding (अपरिग्रह)

Finally the fifth yama is Aparigraha or non-hoarding.

Hoarding arises due to insecurities. One should not succumb to such weaknesses and should try to trust nature wholly. It is wise to dispose of old belongings to the needy. By doing so, one shall feel freedom. Know that things just do not exist outside. Your attachment to them gives them value, an undesirable one. 

Other than the soul and super soul, Bhagawan, nothing is of any value. One must remember that by depending on Paramatma alone, things that matter for one’s survival and welfare automatically are provided by Providence. Bhakti alone can rid one of this unneeded attachment, that binds the soul. Hence, the practice of disposing old belongings can be a powerful spiritual practice.

Give more and own less. Whatever we lack, then, shall become the responsibility of Mother Nature. We need not worry ever again. One should realize that the world is transitory. Developing attachment towards worldly-objects is futile. One should not develop attachment for worldly objects since fear of parting with them is part of our inherent animal nature that we have been living with over infinite lifetimes. Our human birth is a reminder towards sacrificing this binding nature.

The 5 Niyamas (नियम)

The Niyamas are the Practices that a man needs to actively perform in order to align with the Yamas. Without following the Niyamas, Yamas can never become a reality in one’s life. So Niyamas are the to-do aspects using our body, mind and intention that establish us in the Yamas. Now let us understand the five Niyamas or five rules that enable reversing our animal nature.

Cleanliness (शौच)

The first Niyama is Saucha or cleanliness. Saucha simply doesn’t mean external cleanliness. One’s thoughts should be pure if at all one wishes to invoke the Lord, within.One should bathe every day since bathing clears the aura of a person. It facilitates creative ideas and increases over-all freshness.

Moreover, one should also keep one’s thoughts clean. Thinking about God and participating in Dharmic activities shall purge the impurities of the mind. 

Contentment (संतोष )

The second Niyama is Santosha or contentment. According to me, contentment is the most important Niyama. The Grass always looks greener on the other side. Hence, one should not covet other people’s possessions. The Karmic rule says that one receives what one sows. Hence one should not spoil the present moment by fantasizing about the future.

One’s inner state of mind is responsible for happiness. So, I would say, contentment is synonymous to happiness.

Austerity or Tapas (तप)

The third Niyama is Tapas. In Kaliyuga one rarely observes tapas or austerities. Instead the body is pampered with the comforts of the world. I do not say living comfortably is bad, but tapa gives power and resilience to the body and mind. Tapas can be both physical as well as mental.

It includes spiritual rituals such as Vrata and Mauna. It helps develop Urja or spiritual power. It enhances one’s perception of life and grants siddhis. It is the best way to please the Lord and show him our sincerity, through self-restraint. However, we should draw the line between Tapas and Self-Torture. We should not cause harm or become violent towards ourselves in the name of Tapas.

Study of Sanatana Scriptures (स्वाध्याय)

The fourth Niyama is Svadhyaay or self-study (Study of Sanatana Scriptures).

Svadhyaya includes studying scriptures such as Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavatham and the Brahma Sutras including Vedas and Upanishads. One caution is that whatever we do as part of Svadhyaya should be discussed and verified by the Guru.

Moreover, one must understand that as a sadhaka we may not completely grasp the context of the statements of the Scriptures. Therefore one must inquire about the statements of the Scriptures from the Guru who shall be able to link the context of the Scripture with the current times. That is one of the most important jobs of the Guru.

The words of the Vedas have spiritual potency. Each chant can impact one’s life. When one studies the scriptures and discusses the deep subject-matter of the Scriptures, one develops Viveka and Vairagya. As a consequence one realises that Brahman is the only truth while the world is Maya or illusion.

You can watch the video Spiritual Liberation in Advaita Vedanta | Viveka and Vairagya Importance that appears on our channel that takes this point further.

Surrender to God through Prayer (ईश्वर प्राणिधान)

Finally the last Niyama is Ishvara Pranidhana which means surrendering to a higher being. Contemplating about the Lord is the hardest. Generally the mind contemplates on material objects. Being such, spiritual contemplation becomes very hard. By following the points discussed earlier Ishvara Pranidhana shall become very easy. For Ishwara Pranidhana, one can think of one’s Ishtadeva. The mind should be united with one’s favourite deity.

You can find a lot of value in the video Manas Puja of Ishta Devata | How to do Mental Worship of Ishta Devata? That appears on our channel.Thinking of the Lord directly draws Grace into one’s life. Life would then transform into a bed of roses or better said, even a bed of thorns shall transform into a bed of roses.

Ishvara Pranidhana is the final stage which shall take you to the doorstep of Liberation.

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