Yogic Yamas and Niyamas

In this article, let us revisit the concept of yamas and niyamas from aṣṭāṅga yoga philosophy. They have the potential to inspire organizational approaches to ethical conduct that consider universal and contextual factors. This need has already been highlighted by the present challenges faced by institutionalism and organizations’ struggle to preserve meaning amidst challenging situations while understanding the evolving context. With that background, and with a hope to inspire fresh approaches to guiding conduct, we revisit a relatively unexplored part of yoga philosophy – yamas (universal restraints) and niyamas (contextual conduct or observances). So far only the five yamas and five niyamas mentioned in Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras (PYS) have attracted attention and are widely discussed. But there are other sources, such as the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahā-purāṇa (SBM) and the Bṛhan Nāradīya Purāṇa (BNP), which are worth exploring. This article draws from those ancient writings to present an integrative view on yogic yamas and niyamas, or in other words, spirituality-led ethics from a yogic standpoint.

Background 

Aṣṭāṅga yoga is an integral part of yogic philosophy in the Indian tradition. Yoga is defined as the spiritual absorption and characteristic of the mind that pervades all states of mind. Aṣṭāṅga yoga, meaning the ‘Eightfold Path of Yoga’, consists of eight limbs. These limbs aim to eliminate mental deformations and promote ethical behavior and self-realization. 

Here are some of the reference verses from selected scriptures which provide the background to this eightfold path:

विवेकख्यातिरविप्लवा हानोपायः ।।

Vivekakhyātiraviplavā hānopāyaḥ (PYS 2.26)

The unwavering discriminative knowledge (discernment) is the means to avoidance of sufferings (PYS 2.26). 

तस्य सप्तधा प्रान्तभूमिः प्रज्ञा ।।

Tasya saptadhā prāntabhūmiḥ prajñā (PYS 2.27)

After one has attained this degree of discriminative knowledge, he will have access to a seven-fold intellectual vision (PYS 2.27).

योगाङ्गानुष्ठानादशुद्धिक्षये ज्ञानदीप्तिराविवेकख्यातेः।।

Yogāṅgānuṣṭhānādaśuddhikṣaye jñānadīptirāvivekakhyāteḥ (PYS 2.28)

On the destruction of impurity by the practice of the eight limbs of yoga, the illumination goes up to the discriminative knowledge (PYS 2.28).

मायैव ज्ञानशब्देन बुद्ध्यते मुनिसत्तम ।

तस्मादज्ञानविच्छेदो भवेद्वै जित्मायिनाम् ।।

māyaiva jñānaśabdena buddhyate munisattama

tasmādajñānavicchedo bhavedvai jitmāyinām (BNP 33,70)

अज्ञानं नाशयेद्योगी योगेन मुनिसत्तम ।

अष्टाङ्गैः सिद्ध्यते योगस्तानि वक्ष्यामि तत्त्वतः ।।  

ajñānaṃ nāśayedyogī yogena munisattama

aṣṭāṅgaiḥ siddhyate yogastāni vakṣyāmi tattvataḥ (BNP 33.72)

It is the Māyā alone that is understood by the word ajñāna (ignorance). Hence, only those who have conquered it, can get rid of ajñāna (BNP 33.70).

One must destroy ignorance through Yoga. Yoga is achieved through eight limbs (BNP 33.72).

The eight limbs of yoga (PYS 2.29, BNP 33.73-74):

External: yama (restraint), niyama (observances), āsana (physical postures), prāṇāyāma (breath-control), 

Bridge between external and internal: pratyāhāra (abstraction or physical), 

Internal: dhāraṇā (concentration or fixed attention/ retention), dhyāna (meditation or internal focus) and samādhi (spiritual absorption, revelation or blissful state)

यमनियमासनप्राणायामप्रत्याहारधारणाध्यानसमाधयोऽष्टावङ्गानि ।।

Yamaniyamāsanaprāṇāyāmapratyāhāradhāraṇādhyānasamādhayo’ṣṭāvaṅgāni (PYS 2.29)

यमाश्च नियमाश्चैव आसनानि च सत्तम । प्राणायामः प्रत्याहारो धारणा ध्यानमेव च ।। समाधिश्च मुनिश्रेष्ठ योगाङ्गानि यथाक्रमम् ।

Yamāśca niyamāścaiva āsanāni ca sattama । prāṇāyāmaḥ pratyāhāro dhāraṇā dhyānameva ca ।। samādhiśca muniśreṣṭha yogāṅgāni yathākramam । (BNP 33.73-74)

Yoga assumes individuals possess inherent honesty, compassion, and ambition. Unethical behavior arises in adverse circumstances, leading to mental deformations. Yoga provides practices to eliminate these deformations, akin to cleaning dirty glasses for clear vision. Regular and prolonged yogic practice transcends unethical behavior, sharpens perception, and reduces material attachments. It enables individuals to rediscover their authentic selves. Towards this end, the eightfold path begins with the first two of the external limbs, yamas and niyamas, the disciplinary restraints and observances. Without self-restraint, the mind falls prey to initiating actions that go against the very purpose of yoga.

वितर्कबाधने प्रतिपक्षभावनम् ।। वितर्का हिंसादयः कृतकारितानुमोदिता लोभक्रोधमोहपूर्वका मृदुमध्याधिमात्रा दुःखाज्ञानानन्तफला इति प्रतिपक्षभावनम् ।।

vitarkabādhane pratipakṣabhāvanam (PYS 2.33) Vitarkā hiṃsādayaḥ kṛtakāritānumoditā lobhakrodhamohapūrvakā mṛdumadhyādhimātrā duḥkhājñānānantaphalā iti pratipakṣabhāvanam (PYS 2.34)

The mind should be habituated to counter thoughts to overcome the evil ideas that inhibit the self-restraint (PYS 2.33). Actions stemming from wicked thoughts are carried out, induced, or endorsed by others. These actions, driven by greed, anger, or delusion, may vary in intensity, ranging from mild to moderate to severe. It is crucial to nurture opposing inclinations within the mind to comprehend that engaging in such malevolent actions, thoughts, and speech leads to endless suffering and obscurity (PYS 2.34).

Yamas and niyamas in the eightfold path

As the name itself suggests (yama literally means something that can’t be changed), yamas are 

considered as ‘universal vows’ or disciplinary restraints. Their practice is mandatory irrespective of variability in context, medium (thought, speech & action), and doership (by self or through someone).

जातिदेशकालसमयानवच्छिन्नाः सार्वभौमा महाव्रतम् ।।

Jātideśakālasamayānavacchinnāḥ sārvabhaumā mahāvratam (PYS 2.31)

The yamas are the “Universal Great Vows”, as they are not limited by class; type of birth, place, time and circumstance (PYS 2.31).

Different scriptures mention different types of yamas varying from five to thirteen in number, with all largely conforming to a foundational structure similar to the eightfold path. 

अहिंसासत्यास्तेयब्रह्मचर्यापरिग्रहा यमाः ।।

Ahiṃsāsatyāsteyabrahmacaryāparigrahā yamāḥ (PYS 2.30)

अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेयमसङ्गो ह्रीरसञ्चय: । 

आस्तिक्यं ब्रह्मचर्यं च मौनं स्थैर्यं क्षमाभयम् ॥

ahiṁsā satyam asteyam asaṅgo hrīr asañcayaḥ

āstikyaṁ brahmacaryaṁ ca maunaṁ sthairyaṁ kṣamābhayam (SBM 11.19.33)

अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेयं ब्रह्मचर्यापरिग्रहौ । 

अक्रोधश्चानसूया च प्रोक्ताः संक्षेपतो यमाः ।। 

ahiṃsā satyamasteyaṃ brahmacaryāparigrahau 

 akrodhaścānasūyā ca proktāḥ saṃkṣepato yamāḥ (BNP 33.75)

The yamas (restraints) are Ahiṃsā (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (not stealing), Brahmacharya (continence), Aparigraha (non-possessiveness) (PYS 2.30). Apart from PYS, SBM 11.19.33 adds: Asañcaya (not collecting mindlessly), Asaṅgta (detachment), Hrī (humility), Āstikya (belief or trust in higher self or ātman), Mauna (silence), Sthairya (steadiness), Kṣamā (forgiveness); Abhaya (fearlessness). Further BNP 33.75 adds: Akrodha (absence of fury/anger) and Anasūyā (absence of fault finding).

In contrast to yamas, niyamas are considered as contextual self-discipline observances, yet they have the same spiritual orientation.

शौचसन्तोषतपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः ।।

Śaucasantoṣatapaḥsvādhyāyeśvarapraṇidhānāni niyamāḥ  (PYS 2.32)

शौचं जपस्तपो होम: श्रद्धातिथ्यं मदर्चनम् ।

तीर्थाटनं परार्थेहा तुष्टिराचार्यसेवनम् ॥

Śaucaṁ japas tapo homaḥ śraddhātithyaṁ mad-arcanam. tīrthāṭanaṁ parārthehā tuṣṭir ācārya-sevanam (SBM 11.19.34)

तपः स्वाध्यायसंतोषाः शौचं च हरिपूजनम् ।

संध्योपासनमुख्याश्च नियमाः परिकीर्त्तिताः ।। 

tapaḥ svādhyāyasaṃtoṣāḥ śaucaṃ ca haripūjanam

saṃdhyopāsanamukhyāśca niyamāḥ parikīrttitāḥ (BNP 33.87)

The niyamas are Śauca (purification), Santoṣa (contentment), Tapaḥ (austerity), Svādhyāya (self-study) and Īśvarapraṇidhāna (faith or surrender to higher consciousness, offering the fruits of one’s actions to the Divine) (PYS 2.32). SBM 11.19.34 adds: japaḥ (chanting the holy names), homaḥ (sacrifice), śraddhā (faith), ātithyam (hospitality), arcanā (worship), tīrtha-aṭanam (pilgrimages), para-artha-īhā (desiring for the divine), tuṣṭiḥ (satisfaction), ācārya-sevanam (serving the spiritual guru). Additional as per BNP 33.87, Haripūjana (worship of divine) and Saṃdhyopāsana (offering daily prayers).

Yamas and niyamas in organizations 

The application of yamas and niyamas in organizations promotes behaviors such as respecting cultural values, maintaining friendly relationships, and being in harmony with the environment. The yama of āstikya, or belief in a higher order, can enhance creative problem-solving and coping with the complex and volatile business environment. Other yamas like absence of anger, absence of jealousy, humility, and forgiveness can potentially contribute to fostering a trustful environment within organizations.

The niyamas, or observances, provide further guidelines for organizations. They emphasize purification, contentment, austerity, self-study, surrender to a higher power, worship, visiting holy places, serving the spiritual master, and hospitality. These observances promote discipline, contentment, growth, learning, surrender, and a supportive environment within organizational contexts. Violations of the yamas and niyamas lead to unethical actions and speech, highlighting the importance of upholding these principles.

Especially during times of crisis, the application of yamas and niyamas becomes crucial in the management context. Studies have explored the application of yamas and niyamas in management, highlighting their potential to enhance shared value creation, authentic leadership, social entrepreneurship, workplace spirituality, and business ethics. By following these principles, organizations can continually improve and strive for ethical excellence.

Conclusion

The article focused on three ancient scriptures to explore the concepts of yamas and niyamas, which offer spiritual and ethical guidance for decision making. The integration of yamas and niyamas can inspire holistic ethical approaches in organizations, emphasizing both universal spiritual values and context-specific ethical values. Further, due to their yogic grounding, this approach also highlights 

the importance of embodying spirituality and ethics in all aspects of functioning. We hope this article encourages further exploration of the potential of yogic philosophy in ethics management and encourages the adoption of yamas and niyamas as natural behavior. Further research is recommended to deepen the understanding and application of yamas and niyamas in the management context.

References

Bindlish, P. K., & Nandram, S. (2017). Leadership and authenticity: The case of Buurtzorg Nederland. In leadership today (pp. 89-109). Springer, Cham.

Corner, P. D., 2009. Workplace Spirituality and Business Ethics: Insights from an Eastern Spiritual Tradition. Journal of Business Ethics 85 (3), 377-389. doi:10.1007/s10551-008-9776-2.

Dutt, P., Bindlish, P., Nandram, S., & Jain, N. (2013). Natural leadership-everest climber in everyone: Story of youngest everest climber from North East Tine Mena. Amity Case Research Journal, 3(1), 31-43.

Nandram, S.S. (2009). Synchronizing leadership style with integral transformational yoga principles. In S.S. Nandram & M.E. Borden (Eds.). Spirituality and business: Exploring possibilities for a new management paradigm. (pp. 183-204). Heidelberg: Springer. ISBN 978364202667. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-02661-4_16

Nandram, S., & Bindlish, P. (2019). Social Entrepreneurship Leading Towards Sustainable \Welfare (Shubh Laabh). The Routledge Companion to Management and Workplace Spirituality.

Nandram, S. S., Bindlish, P. K., & Shrestha, A. K. (2022). Spirituality Led Ethical Decision Making with Yogic Yamas and Niyamas. Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, 19 (3), 237-257.