Centre for Yoga Studies

The Art of Personal Sādhana

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • RSS

Menu

Skip to content
  • Welcome
  • What is Yoga
  • What is Viniyoga
  • About Paul
  • Diary
  • Contact
  • Links
Find a One to One Teacher
PAULS PROGRAMMESPersonal & Professional Yoga
PAULS JOURNALYoga News Views & Blogs
YOGA TEXTS & FREENOTESOnline Translation & Commentary
DHARMA DOWNLOADSCommunity Yoga Resources

niyama

Devanāgarī: नियम Translation: observances; restraint of the mind; a rule or precept; obligation; restraining, checking, holding back Related concepts:śauca, saṃtoṣa, svādhyāya, īśvara, praṇidhāna, kriyā, yama, aṣṭāṅga

Appears in

Yoga Sūtra:

Chapter 2: 29 , 32

Bhagavad Gītā:

Chapter 3: 41

Yoga Rahasya:

Chapter 1: 67 , 89


Click here for complete Saṃskṛta Index

Commentaries around

“Can these four Yoga Aṅga – Yama, Niyama, Āsana, Prāṇāyāma
– be practiced by everyone at every stage of life?
How often and how long should one practice?
How can we adapt our practice to changing circumstances?
These questions and others like them must be answered by a competent teacher,
according to each student’s individual circumstances.”
– T Krishnamacharya’s commentary to Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30

“When Kleśa are on  the move, time should not be lost.
Reflection is a must.
Reduction of all the factors that increase Rajas and Tamas,
including right food, company, study and Niyama is a must.
Without them, reflection leading to a reduction of the power of Kleśa will not work.”
– T Krishnamacharya commentary on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 11

“Regarding Yama and Niyama, these days, he believes, they have no validity except for two of them.
First, what is called Satya Niyama, or what to speak, what not to speak, to whom to speak, how to write, what not to write. These are Satya Niyama.
Another Niyama that should be followed is Āhāra Niyama. That is, how much to eat and what to eat, according to age, profession, etc. You see, the ancient people believed that a young boy could eat as much as he liked. But a Saṃnyāsi should only eat eight handfuls of rice, no more, per day.”
– TKV Desikachar from lectures on ‘The Yoga of T Krishnamacharya’, given at Zinal, Switzerland 1981.

Question to TKV Desikachar on Yama and Niyama:
“The idea behind Yama and Niyama is the attitude we have to the inside and outside.
If I don’t know what is true there is no question of telling the truth.
However there is the intention, because one day it may become a reality.
Even though some of these things are not there in the beginning, if the intention is sincere then one day it will become an action if conditions and our psychological state change.
Yama as telling the truth also means discretion.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“Activities that nurture a state of Yoga involve
self-discipline, Self-inquiry and Self-awareness.”

“A postscript to the above quote around the three Niyama within Kriyā Yoga on the uses of the terms ‘self’ or ‘Self’ within the legs in the tripod supporting our efforts at nurturing a state of Yoga.
The first leg supporting the tripod refers to Citta
as the self in terms of nurturing self-discipline.
The second leg supporting the tripod refers to Cit
as the Self in terms of nurturing Self-inquiry.
The final leg supporting the tripod refers to Cit
as the Self in terms of nurturing Self-awareness.”

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

This glossary with its similar, opposite and related concepts categories, supplemented by textual references and additional commentaries around the key word, is a both work in progress and constantly ever-expanding in terms of further cross-references, textual cross links and commentaries.
As it continues to develop your comments and suggestions on your experience and how it may be enhanced are very welcome via this link, thank you.
  • Welcome to Pauls Freenotes

    • Yoga Texts & Freenotes Overview
    • T Krishnamacharya – The Source
    • TKV Desikachar – The Link
    • Paul Harvey – The Student
    • Yoga Posts as PDF’s Repository
    • Online Saṃskṛta Word Glossary
    • Back to Pauls Journal Posts Page
  • Yoga Sūtra Freenotes

    • Sūtra Textual Freenotes Overview
    • Sūtra Opening Dhyānam Ślokam
    • Sūtra Mālā – Pearls from Patañjali
    • Sūtra Text Full Online Translation
    • – Sūtra Online – Chapter 1 Verses
    • – Sūtra Online – Chapter 2 Verses
    • – Sūtra Online – Chapter 3 Verses
    • – Sūtra Online – Chapter 4 Verses
    • Sūtra Study PDF Workbooks
    • Sūtra Study Chant Text Files
    • Sūtra Study Chant Sound Files
  • Haṭha Yoga Texts Freenotes

    • Haṭha Yoga Freenotes Overview
    • Haṭha Yoga Text Quotes as Posts
    • Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā All Online
    • – HYP Online – Chapter 1
    • – HYP Online – Chapter 2
    • – HYP Online – Chapter 3
    • – HYP Online – Chapter 4
    • Yoga Rahasya All Online
    • – YR Online – Chapter 1
    • – YR Online – Chapter 2
    • – YR Online – Chapter 3
    • – YR Online – Chapter 4
  • Bhagavad Gītā Freenotes

    • Gītā Textual Freenotes Overview
    • Gītā Opening Dhyāna Ślokam
    • Gītā Text Quotes as Posts
    • Gītā Online Collected Verses
    • – Gītā Online – First Hexad
      • Gītā Online – Chapter 1
      • Gītā Online – Chapter 2
      • Gītā Online – Chapter 3
      • Gītā Online – Chapter 4
      • Gītā Online – Chapter 5
      • Gītā Online – Chapter 6
    • – Gītā Online – Second Hexad
      • Gītā Online – Chapter 7
      • Gītā Online – Chapter 8
      • Gītā Online – Chapter 9
      • Gītā Online – Chapter 10
      • Gītā Online – Chapter 11
      • Gītā Online – Chapter 12
    • – Gītā Online – Third Hexad
      • Gītā Online – Chapter 13
      • Gītā Online – Chapter 14
      • Gītā Online – Chapter 15
      • Gītā Online – Chapter 16
      • Gītā Online – Chapter 17
      • Gītā Online – Chapter 18
    • Gītā Chapters Saṃskṛta Text
    • Gītā Chapters PDF Workbooks
    • Gītārtha Saṃgraha Overview
    • – Gītārtha Saṃgraha Online
  • Sāṃkhya Kārikā Freenotes

    • Sāṃkhya Freenotes Overview
    • Sāṃkhya Kārikā Verses as Posts
    • Sāṃkhya Kārikā Text Online
    • Sāṃkhya Kārikā PDF Workbook
  • Upaniṣat Texts Freenotes

    • Upaniṣat Freenotes Overview
    • Upaniṣat Text Verses as Posts
    • Upaniṣat Study Chant Text Files
    • Upaniṣat Study Chant Sound Files
  • Āyurveda Lifestyle Freenotes

    • Āyurveda Freenotes Overview
    • Āyurveda Collected Posts
    • Āyurveda Articles Series
  • Celebrating Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence in Yoga Teaching and Yoga Therapy Training
    Dharma Downloads Downloadable Resources for the Global Yoga Community
    Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: cysuk by Underscores.me.
    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.