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Yama Niyama Asana (The Eight Limbs — Yoga Sutra 2.29)

Yama Niyama Asana (The Eight Limbs — Yoga Sutra 2.29) in English · English

🕉️ yoga·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 Morning, at the start of yoga study or practice·📜 Patanjali Yoga Sutras 2.29
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हिन्दी / देवनागरीతెలుగుதமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡമലയാളംગુજરાતીবাংলাଓଡ଼ିଆਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

This is the famous sutra that lists the eight limbs (ashtanga) of Patanjali's yoga — the complete path from ethical living to the highest absorption. It names yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi in their proper order. This eightfold scheme is the very foundation of Raja Yoga and the framework on which much of modern yoga rests.

Origin & Story

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 2.29 · Patanjali · Classical (c. 2nd century BCE – 4th century CE)

This aphorism appears in the Sadhana Pada of Maharshi Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, where Patanjali sets out the practical path of yoga. It enumerates the eight limbs that have since defined classical yoga — Ashtanga Yoga. The sutras that follow describe each limb in detail. This single verse is among the most quoted in all of yoga, providing the structure for the entire discipline.

✦ As told in scripture

Yogis through the centuries have found that this eightfold path works as a living ladder: as the earlier limbs are honoured, the later ones unfold almost of themselves, until concentration ripens into meditation and meditation into the boundless absorption of samadhi.

The Mantra

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Yama-niyama-asana-pranayama-pratyahara-dharana-dhyana-samadhayo'shtav angani

Meaning:The eight limbs of yoga are: restraints (yama), observances (niyama), posture (asana), breath-regulation (pranayama), sense-withdrawal (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and absorption (samadhi).

Word-by-Word Meaning

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yama🔊Restraints; ethical disciplines toward others (1st limb)
niyama🔊Observances; personal disciplines toward oneself (2nd limb)
asana🔊Posture; a steady, comfortable seat (3rd limb)
pranayama🔊Regulation of the breath / life-force (4th limb)
pratyahara🔊Withdrawal of the senses from their objects (5th limb)
dharana🔊Concentration; fixing the mind on a single point (6th limb)
dhyana🔊Meditation; unbroken flow of attention (7th limb)
samadhayah🔊Absorption; union of meditator and object (8th limb, samadhi)
ashtau🔊Eight
angani🔊Limbs, components, parts
ashtau angani🔊The eight limbs (of yoga) — Ashtanga Yoga

Benefits of Chanting Yama Niyama Asana (The Eight Limbs — Yoga Sutra 2.29)

✦

Lists the complete eightfold path of yoga (Ashtanga Yoga) — the structured roadmap from ethics to enlightenment.

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Provides a clear, progressive framework: from outer conduct (yama, niyama) inward to absorption (samadhi).

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Foundation of Raja Yoga and the philosophical basis of much of the world's yoga practice.

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Memorizing it gives the practitioner the full map of yogic discipline at a glance.

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Encourages balanced development of body, breath, senses, mind and spirit.

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Recited and studied by yoga practitioners as the central organizing teaching of the Yoga Sutras.

How to Chant Yama Niyama Asana (The Eight Limbs — Yoga Sutra 2.29)

Repetitions3times
Best TimeMorning, at the start of yoga study or practice
FaceEast or facing one's place of practice

Recite the sutra slowly, naming each of the eight limbs in order, so the full path is held clearly in mind. Reflect on which limb your practice currently emphasizes and how the others support it. It is best learnt by heart and used as the guiding framework for one's whole sadhana, rather than merely chanted.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Yama Niyama Asana (The Eight Limbs — Yoga Sutra 2.29) written in the English script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.
Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.
They are yama (restraints), niyama (observances), asana (posture), pranayama (breath-regulation), pratyahara (sense-withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (absorption). Together they are called Ashtanga Yoga — the eight-limbed yoga of Patanjali.
Ashtanga means 'eight limbs'. This sutra explicitly enumerates those eight limbs, making it the source verse for the entire eightfold path. Everything from ethical conduct to deep meditation is organized under these eight stages.
They form a progressive sequence — outer disciplines (yama, niyama) and the body and breath (asana, pranayama) prepare the mind, while the inner limbs (pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi) lead to deep absorption. Yet they also support one another and are cultivated together over time.
The final limb, samadhi, is the goal — complete absorption in which the meditator merges with the object of meditation. This fulfils the very purpose of yoga stated in 1.2–1.3: the stilling of the mind and the abiding of the Self in its own nature.

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