YAMA'S

PRAYER

( in Sanskrit )

yogena cittasya padena vacam

(yo-gay-nuh chich-tah-syuh pah-day-nuh vah-cham)

malam sarirasya ca vaidyakena

(mah-lahm shah-ree-rah-syuh chuh vy-dyuh-kay-nuh)

yo pakarottam pravaram muninam

(yo-pah kar-oh-tahm prah-vah-rahm moo-nee-nahm)

patanjalim pranjaliranato smi

(pah-tahn-jah-lim prahn-jah-leer ah-nah-to-smee)

abahu prursakaram

(ah-bah-hoo-poo-roo-shah-kar-ahm)

sankha cakrasi dharinam

(shahn-kah chah-krah-see dar-ee-nahm)

shasra sirasam svetam

(sah-hah-srah sheer-ah-sahm shvay-tahm)

pranamami patanjalim

(prah-nuh-mah-mee pah-tahn-jah-lim)

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English

Let us bow before the noblest of sages Patanjali,

who gave yoga for serenity and sanctity of mind,

grammar for clarity and purity of speech and

medicine for perfection of health.

Let us prostrate before Patanjali,

an incarnation of Adisesa,

whose upper body has a human form,

whose arms hold a conch and a disc,

and who is crowned by a thousand-headed cobra

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Patanjali a man(he is worshiped as a god and an immortal guru , who have been guiding the people on the path) patanjali complied the ocean of vast yoga systems of india into a diciplines of streams called the EIGHT LIMPS of yoga(asthanga yoga).this is popularly known as PATANJALI YOGA SUTRA'S.

IT IS WRITTEN IN ONE OF THE ANCIENT LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD CALLED 'SANSKRIT'

􀂒 Eight Limbs of Yoga
1– Yama
2– Niyama
3– Asana
4– Pranayama
5– Pratyahara
6– Dharana
7– Dhyana
8– Samadhi

The one, who fallow this streams of yoga , is surely attain the divinehood of his/her highest being called the true-self or self realisation or enlightenment.

Each of these above steps has got various sub-rules/divisions.So,here let me explain everthing into a step by step.let us progress along while learning and reach the pinacle of the ultimate.need not to be in hurry.Go as slow as you can and imbibe the quality of the essence/content.That is very essential than to become mastering in this theory.

Yamas

A yama (Sanskrit), literally a "restraint", is a rule or code of conduct for living virtuously. The yamas comprise the "shall-nots" in our dealings with the external world.

Ten Yamas are codified as "the restraints" in numerous scriptures including the Shandilya and Varaha Upanishads, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Gorakshanatha, and the Tirumantiram of Tirumular. Patañjali lists only five yamas in his Yoga Sutras.

Ten Traditional yamas

The ten traditional yamas are:-
1. Ahimsa: abstinence from injury, harmlessness, the not causing of pain to any living creature in thought, word, or deed at any time. This is the "main" yama. The other nine are there in support of its accomplishment.
2. Satya: truthfulness, word and thought in conformity with the facts.
3. Asteya: non-stealing, non-coveting, non-entering into debt.
4. Brahmacharya: divine conduct, continence, celibate when single, faithful when married.
5. Kshama: patience, releasing time, functioning in the now.
6. Dhriti: steadfastness, overcoming non-perseverance, fear, and indecision; seeing each task through to completion.
7. Daya: compassion; conquering callous, cruel and insensitive feelings toward all beings.
8. Arjava: honesty, straightforwardness, renouncing deception and wrongdoing.
9. Mitahara: moderate appetite, neither eating too much nor to little; nor consuming meat, fish, shellfish, fowl or eggs.
10. Shaucha: purity, avoidance of impurity in body, mind and speech. (Note: Patanjali's Yoga Sutras list Shaucha as the first of the Niyamas.)

The most contemporary of Ten yamas to address our today needs.

There are so many schools of yoga adapting different methodology.Each one of them are aiming to reach the pinnacle of the yoga.One school of thought may slightly vary from another,but it dosen't matter.They all ultimately fallow and come to the stream of patanjali .here in this context we are going to see the detail of the fallowing yama's.

1) Ahimsa - non-violence or harmlessness.

2)Satya - truthful,real,genuine and being virtuous.

3)Asteya - non-stealing ,non-misappropriating.

4)Brahmacharya - moderation ,chastity,continence.

5)Aparagraha -non-possessiveness,without belongings,not accepting gifts.
6)Shaucha - purity of body and mind .

7)Santosha - satisfaction/contentment/ bliss.

8)Tapah -training the senses, austerities, ascesis.

9)Svadhyaya - self-study, reflection on sacred words
10)Ishvara pranidhana - surrender to the god/the ultimate