Niyama (नियमः)

The meaning of the term Niyama (Sanskrit : नियमः) is virtuous behaviors or disciplines. They are the “dos“ of a person with virtuous life. If every person observes the Niyamas, a better personal life can be expected. These Niyamas help the mind in progressing to the other limbs of Yoga by reducing and removing the hindrances on the path.

Scriptural Occurrences

1.   Niyamas as in Yoga science is mentioned in Rigveda (Rigveda, verse 5.61.2) for the first time. (Ref: https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rvsan/rv05061.htm)

कव वो ऽशवाः कव्र्भीशवः कथं शेक कथा यय |

पर्ष्ठे सदो नसोर यमः ||

2.   Patanjal Yoga Sutras (2.29) enlists NiYama as one of the limbs of Ashtanga Yoga as below.

The 8 limbs of yoga are Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayam, Pratyahar, Dharna, Dhyana, Samadhi.

3.   Further Patanjali mentions the 5 Yamas in Sutra 2.32

The five Niyama as per Patanjali are Shaucha, Santosh, Tapas, Swadhyaya, Ishvarpranidhan. As per other texts the number may vary.

4.   The 10 Yamas as per Shandilya Upanishad are as below.

तपःसन्तोषास्तिक्यदानेश्वरपूजनसिद्धान्तश्रवणह्रीमतिजपो

व्रतानि दश नियमाः ।| 1.1||

(https://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_upanishhat/shandilya.html)

Tapas, Santosh, Astikya, Daana, Ishvarpujan, Siddhanta-Shravana, Hrih, Mati, Japa and Vrata.

5.   Bhagvad Gita mentions Yamas is below verses from Chapter 17. (The Bhagavad Gita or The Song Divine. Gita Press, Gorakhpur).

देवद्विजगुरुप्राज्ञपूजनं शौचमार्जवम् |

ब्रह्मचर्यमहिंसा च शारीरं तप उच्यते || 17.14||

अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत् |

स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते || 17.15||

Some texts interpret Yama differently hence they consider some Niyama as Yama and vice versa.

Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Chapter 1, pg 56, Swami Muktibodhananda, Muger, Bihar, Yoga Publication Trust. 2006

तपः सन्तोष आस्तिक्यं दानम् ईश्वरपूजनम् ।

सिद्धान्तवाक्यश्रवणं ह्रीमती च तपो हुतम् ।

नियमा दश सम्प्रोक्ता योगशास्त्रविशारदैः ॥१८॥

tapaH santoSha AstikyaM dAnam IshvarapUjanam |

siddhAntavAkyashravaNaM hrImatI cha tapo hutam |

niyamA dasha samproktA yogashAstravishAradaiH ||18||

"Penance (austerity), contentment, belief (faith) in the Supreme (God), charity, worship of God, listening to the recitations of sacred scriptures, modesty, a discerning intellect, japa (mantra repetition) and sacrifice are the ten observances (niyama). (iii)"

Why Niyamas are required?

Niyamas are the dos for any person.

a. Below are instructions by Swami Shivanand in regards to some Niyamas.

“3. Japa: Repeat any Mantra as pure Om or Om Name Narayanaya, Om Namah Sivaya, Om Name Bhagavate Vasudevaya, Om Saravanabhavaya Namah, Sita Ram, Sri Ram, Hari Om, or Gayatri, according to your taste or inclination, from 108 to 21,600 times daily.”

“6. Charity: Do charity regularly, every month, or even daily according to your means, say six paisa per rupee.”

“7. Svadhyaya: Study systematically the Gita, the Ramayana, the Bhagavata, Vishnu-Sahasranama, Lalita-Sahasranama, Aditya Hridaya, Upanishads or Yoga Vasishtha, the Bible, Zend Avesta, the Koran, the Tripitakas, the Granth Sahib, etc., from half an hour to one hour daily and have Suddha Vichara.”

“11. Fast on Ekadasi: Fast on Ekadasi or live on milk and fruits only”

(Audio in voice of Swami Sivananda -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfiOYaVksvE)

b. Below are details by Sri Aurobindo in regards to Niyama.

“The niyamas are equally a discipline of the mind by regular practices of which the highest is meditation on the divine Being, and their object is to create a sattwic calm, purity and preparation for concentration upon which the secure pursuance of the rest of the Yoga can be founded. It is here, when this foundation has been secured, that the practice of Asana and Pranayama come in and can then bear their perfect fruits. “

Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis of Yoga”, Chapter 28 - Rajayoga, page 539

c. Osho also discourses about Niyama in his talks given on 5^th July 1975 as Osho Ashram, Pune. Osho, Patanjali Yoga Sutra - Part 3, page 87, 1994 edition.

"दूसरा चरण है ‘नियम’। एक सुनिश्चित नियमन : वह जीवन जिसमें कि अनुशासन है, वह जीवन जिसमें कि नियमितता है, वह जीवन जो कि बहुत ही अनुशासित ढंग से जीया जाता है, अव्यवस्थित नहीं। एक नियमितता है। लेकिन वह भी तुम्हें गुलामी जैस लगेगा। पतंजलि के समय के सारे सुंदर शब्द अब कुरूप हो गए हैं।"