“Yamaḥ prathamaṁ aṅgaṁ yogasya – Yama is the first limb of Yoga.”
— Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, II.29
The path of yoga did not start with āsanas in the old-school Gurukul system. Students were led into yama before being taught a single position or breath. These five practices serve as the moral cornerstone of yoga; they are not optional ethics, but rather the sattvic foundation that enables spiritual advancement. Any attempt to do yoga without yama is pointless, like constructing a temple out of sand.
Yama controls our social behaviour, our outward behaviour, and—above all—our inner integrity. It controls the mind’s tamasic and rajasic inclinations, such as rage, greed, dishonesty, and indulgence, and it prepares the ground for the growth of the chitta shuddhi (purification of consciousness) seed.
We will examine the five yamas from the perspectives of sādhanā, scriptural wisdom, and dharma.
1. Ahimsa (अहिंसा) – Non-Violence in All Forms
Ahimsa is the mahāvrata — the great vow. It is not merely the absence of violence, but the conscious presence of compassion.
“Ahimsa paramo dharmaḥ.”
“Non-violence is the highest dharma.”
— Mahabharata
The three stages of true ahimsa are thought (manas), speech (vāk), and action (kāya). A yogi observes their thoughts as well as their words. A few examples of subtle kinds of violence are anger, envy, and harsh judgment. With others. In one’s direction.
You are asked:
Do you think positive or negative thoughts?
Is there calm or disruption in your presence?
Ahimsa encompasses our emotions (not hurting oneself through guilt, shame, or unprocessed pain), our environment (not taking advantage of nature), and our nutrition (not injuring other living beings). Higher states such as samādhi and bhakti can only flourish in the soil of ahimsa.
2. Satya (सत्य) – Truth in Thought, Word, and Deed
Satya is more than “not lying.” It is the alignment of inner truth and outer expression. It is to speak what is real without arrogance, to live what is authentic without fear.
“Satyena labhyas tapasā hi eṣa ātmā”
“The Self is attained by truth and tapas.”
— Mundaka Upanishad, 3.1.5
Ahimsa, however, must balance truth. “Speak what is true, but speak it gently,” the Holy Scriptures remind us. The wise yogi never speaks to boost one’s ego or win disputes;
Instead, they speak only when necessary.
In addition, being satya implies not hiding behind masks, roles, or fake humility. The Self is satya, while the body and mind are transient. To follow the yogic path is to stand in that unchanging reality and remove all illusions.
3. Asteya (अस्तेय) – Non-Stealing
Physically, emotionally, and intellectually, Asteya is prohibited from stealing anything that is not freely offered. Yogis don’t compare, compete, or covet. Stealing involves both taking and desiring something that belongs to someone else.
“Astēya pratishthāyaṁ sarva ratna upasthānam”
— Yoga Sutra II.37
“When one is firmly established in non-stealing, all riches present themselves.”
This means that life is going to shower you with its wealth if you stop stealing it. In modern language, asteya refers to honouring the time, effort, thoughts, and limits of others. It also suggests that you should not take from yourself, waste time, misuse prāṇa, or postpone your dharma.
4. Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्य) – Conduct in the Awareness of Brahman
Of all the yamas, this one is arguably the most misinterpreted. Celibacy has historically been associated with brahmacharya, particularly for students (brahmachārins) who are committed to their studies and spiritual practices.
However, its fundamental meaning is:
“To walk in Brahman.”
To live with such self-awareness that every action, thought, and interaction is in remembrance of the divine.
In regard to the present, Brahmacharya asks:
Where is your energy going?
Are you leaking your focus into distractions, desires, and addictions?
Or conserving your life-force for self-inquiry and seva?
Instead of restricting the senses, it is about controlling them. Make the best out of sexuality. eating with mindfulness. Talking with purpose. putting fundamental discipline ahead of temporary pleasure. An individual who practices brahmacharya communicates stability, calmness, and ojas, or spiritual power.
5. Aparigraha (अपरिग्रह) – Non-Possessiveness
The freedom from holding on to things, people, titles, beliefs, and even your own spiritual development is known as aparigraha. It is freedom from the false sense of possession.
“Aparigrahasthairye janma kathantā sambodhah”
— Yoga Sutra II.39
“One who is established in non-possessiveness gains knowledge of past lives.”
Why? Because perception is limited by grabbing. The deeper realities of the soul are revealed when the mind is free from greed and desire. Detachment from life, not from the need to control it, is what Aparigraha teaches.
The yogi has faith in:
“Whatever is meant for me, cannot miss me.
Whatever misses me was never mine.”
Yama isn’t a list of things to accomplish. It’s a mirror. constant evaluation of our existing sādhanā. These five disciplines get deeper as one progresses, both in terms of behaviour and bhāva (inner attitude).
They are not supposed to turn us into “good people.” To expose the highest truth (ātma-jñāna), they have the purpose of purifying the antahkarana, the inner tool of awareness.
The bottom of the river is Yama. Without it, the yoga flow expands in every possible direction.
Following this route with respect rather than force. With grace, not with guilt. Because even one small step toward dharma has an impact that lasts a lifetime.
