The Eight Limbs of Raja Yoga

Note: contributed by Srivardan Balaji under the guidance of Dr Sohom Chakrabarty (IIT Roorkee)

Sage Patanjali has classified the practice of Raja Yoga into eight limbs, known as Angas. The Angas of

Yoga include – Yama (restraints), Niyama (observances), Asana (posture), Pranayama (regulation of

Prana), Pratyahara (inner withdrawal), Dharana (contemplation), Dhyana (concentration), and

Samadhi (integration) [1]

The classification of the observances and practices of Yoga can be

understood in association with the functioning of Prana. Prana is the internal life-force energy that

revitalizes the entire existence, including all living and non-living entities in it. Prana comes from

Purusha into Prakriti, creating a disbalance in the three Gunas – Sattva, Rajas and Tamas – and

thereby leads to the formation of individualized consciousnesses (Ahamkara). The consciousness is

covered in the veil of Prakriti or Maya and, hence, has a false identification of the self. The purpose

of the eight Angas of Yoga is to help the practitioner (Sadhaka) realize the true nature of the self as

separate from Prakriti. This self-realization is the final stage of Samadhi, known as Kaivalya. The eight

limbs are now discussed in detail.

Yama – restraints

The Yamas refer to restraints that we must exercise to avoid the wastage of Prana. The word ‘Yama’

literally refers to control, and hence, it involves those practices that aim to voluntarily control certain

tendencies which are otherwise involuntarily expressed in a person. There are five Yamas, defined

primarily on the basis of the five ways by which Prana wastes out of the body. The Yamas are Ahimsa

(non-harming), Satya (truthfulness or non-lying), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (non-

sensuality), and Aparigraha (non-acquisitive) [2]

Though labelled external discipline, the Yamas must be applied at all levels – physical, mental, and

spiritual. Ahimsa refers to the practice of non-violence. Violence is incompatible with the Yogic path

and must be avoided at all levels. Acts such as physically or verbally hurting others, violating

promises, laws, and social order, and thinking harm to others all comprise of violence and must be

refrained from. Satya refers to the upkeep of truth. One must never try to misrepresent any truth,

feeling, emotion, or idea for one’s own benefit. It is better to remain silent on a situation rather than

to falsify it. The practice of Asteya exercises control over the tendency to steal physical objects,

ideas, or personality traits that are not one’s own. Such impersonation of others masks one’s true

nature and takes them away from the Yogic path. Brahmacharya regulates sensual pleasures from

physical objects, ideas, imaginations, and self-gratification. It refers to being situated in Brahman, to

identify oneself as the Seer and not with the sense organs, and this can only be achieved through the

practice of non-sensuality. Aparigraha shatters the chains of attachment to objects, living entities,

feelings, decisions, and emotions. The practice of Yama leads to an honourable and successful social

life. Shlokas 2.35-2.39 of Patanjali Yoga Sutras are dedicated to the benefits of practicing these

Yamas.

Niyama – observances

The Niyamas are the observances that remove blockages to the flow of Prana. The Niyamas are also

five in number: Shaucha (Cleanliness), Santosha (Contentment), Tapas (Discipline), Swadhyaya (Self-

study) and Ishwar-pranidhana (Devotional Surrender to Higher Power) [3]. The Niyamas make us

conscious of the influence of the three Gunas in our lives and empower us to get over their

influence. With continuous practice, the Niyamas decrease the Rajasic and Tamasic qualities in us

and enhance the Sattvic qualities, thereby leading us towards the state of stability or equipoise.

Ultimately, the Niyamas lead to an enriching personal life.

Shaucha refers to cleanliness, i.e., to discard all foreign impurities (Tamas) and to achieve the pure

state of natural existence (Sattva). Shaucha can be practiced at all levels – physical, mental, and

spiritual. Gratitude and non-complaint are the two practices for the cultivation of Santosha. One

must be content with what one has and must not complain about what one does not have. This

observance vanquishes passion (Rajas) and situates us in Sattva. Tapas is any activity guided by rules

and regulations. It comes from the word ‘Tapa,’ which refers to Agni (fire), whose function is to

transform. Therefore, Tapas refers to the discipline that burns away Tamas (inaction or destructive

action), and binds Rajas (activity) to Sattva (steadiness). Swadhyaya is the study of our own life from

a third person’s view. A continuous practice of such self-reflective observance elevates one to the

state of the detached observer (Seer), which is the ultimate goal of the Yogic path. It provides a

platform for self-improvement by self-evaluating one’s past actions and learn one’s own

experiences. Practicing these Niyamas, especially Swadhyaya, a Sadhaka will come to realize the

presence of a Higher Power (Ishwara) and surrender unto the divine grace. This surrender, filled with

love and devotion, is known as Ishwar-pranidhana. It shatters the practitioner’s ego as one realizes

the insignificance of the individual self in front of the Supreme.

The Yamas and Niyamas bestow certain divine qualities or powers on the practitioner. Ahimsa and

Ishwar-pranidhana imbue Divine Love, Satya and Swadhyaya reflect Divine Truth, Asteya and

Santosha bestow Divine Grace, Brahmacharya and Tapas enhance Divine Strength and Aparigraha

and Shaucha lead to Divine Freedom.

Asana – physical postures

Asanas are physical postures that enable the smooth flow of Prana in our bodies. The postures of

Yoga should embody steadiness, stability, and comfort[4]. Such a perfect posture can be achieved by

relaxing or loosening of effort, and this allows our consciousness to merge with the infinite [5]. The

attainment of such a perfected posture leads to unimpeded freedom by raising us above the play of

opposites such as heat and cold, good and bad, or pain and pleasure[6]. The primary aim of any Asana

is to achieve one or more of these – a correct posture for relaxation, to increase flexibility of the

physical body, to improve balance, to strengthen the digestive and other systems, to strengthen the

spine, and to maintain a proper sitting posture. Various Asanas are proposed and practiced –

Bhujangasana, Tadasana, Paschimottasana, Uttasana, Halasana, and Shavasana are a notable few.

Asanas also include sitting postures. A perfect sitting posture is a pre-requisite for all the

forthcoming Angas; hence, it is crucial to achieve relaxation in sitting postures. Bhadrasana,

Vajrasana, Padmasana, Sukhasana, and Siddhasana are a few examples. Of these, Vajrasana stands

out as a unique Asana that can be practiced even after the consumption of meals, as it strengthens

the digestive system.

Pranayama – regulation of Prana

Pranayama is the mechanism to control the flow of Prana. With effort relaxing, the flow of inhalation

and exhalation can be brought to a standstill; this is called breath regulation through which one

achieves Pranayama[7]

. To achieve breath regulation, one must first understand the cycle of breath.

The cycle of breath has four stages: Purak (Inhalation), Antar-Kumbhak (Holding In), Rechak

(Exhalation), and Bahir-Kumbhak (Holding Out). Then, one must observe the various aspects during

this cycle - the flow of air through the air passage, the sound of breath, the duration of breath

among others. These can be observed with conscious effort, which makes breath slow and subtle[8]

.

With continued breath regulation, the distinction between breathing in and out also falls away, and

this lifts the veil from the luminosity of the mind, leading towards self-realization[9] [10]. With

continued practice, one achieves cessation of breath with ease, which helps in perceiving Prana as

separate from breath. Once Prana can be perceived, one can channel it to different parts of the

body, leading to Pranic healing and cleansing. Standard Pranayama techniques include Bhastrika

(Bellow Breathing), Anulom Vilom (Alternate Nostril Breathing), Bharamari (Sound of Bumble Bee

Exhalation), Kapalbhaati (Rapid Pulsed Exhalation) and Ujjayi (Sound of Wave Exhalation).

Pratyahara – inner withdrawal

Pratyahara refers to withdrawing Prana inwards by reversing the direction of our senses. When

consciousness interiorizes by uncoupling from external objects, the senses do likewise; this is called

Pratyahara[11]. Once Pratyahara is achieved, the senses reside utterly in the service of self-realization

[12]

. Once Pratyahara is achieved, one possesses the ability to recognize and contemplate objects in

the Astral and Causal planes. One is also able to perceive internal organs, perceive the mind as an

internal organ, and take consciousness near and within such organs. Ultimately, one perceives the

self as pure consciousness. Pratyahara also leads to the purification of the senses, heightening sense

perceptions and intuition. It also sharpens the discriminative power known as Viveka.

Dharana – contemplation

Dharana is the process of holding or fixing the mind's attention onto one object or place [13]. While it

is possible to contemplate on physical objects, one must go beyond and focus on spiritual objects in

the Astral and Causal planes to progress towards self-realization. In the astral level, one can

contemplate on objects like the Chakras and Nadis, patterns of Light, the Light Body of the Self, the

face or form of a deity, spiritual objects and symbols, and many others. Focusing on feelings of

peace, calmness, kindness, love, joy, non-attachment, contentment, and other aspects such as

wisdom, Divine Power, discrimination, and truthfulness constitute Dharana at the causal level.

Dhyana – concentration

Once an object has been contemplated in the inner space, it is necessary to hold on to it for some

time. Dhyana refers to the one-pointed concentration on the contemplated spiritual object. The

Yoga Sutras mention that the repeated continuation or uninterrupted stream of that one point of

focus is called absorption in meditation or concentration[14]. Through Dhyana, we aim to achieve a

single-pointed perception of the object of contemplation. Ultimately, we aim for absorption of the

self with the object of contemplation.

Any meditation technique combines the three Angas – Pratyahara, Dharana, and Dhyana.

Techniques such as Watching the Breath (Air Flow as the Object of Contemplation), Watching the

Light (Patterns of Light as the Object of Contemplation), Listening to Sound (Proceeding towards

subtler sounds), Being in the Present (Contemplating on only one moment in time without worries of

the past and future) and Perceiving the Self (Focussing on oneself as the observer of everything) are

commonly practiced by different schools of Yoga. Among these, the last two techniques are higher

forms of meditation that eventually lead to liberation.

Samadhi – integration

When one is meditatively absorbed with a contemplated object, the essence of that object shines

forth in the mind as if devoid even of its own form. This state of deep absorption is called integration

or Samadhi [15]. Samadhi is the stage when everything becomes known about the contemplated

object. The practitioner achieves complete freedom from all sorts of questions regarding that object.

In other words, that person achieves a ‘Union’ with that object. The ultimate form of Samadhi,

known as Kaivalya, refers to the absorption of the individual self into the Supreme Self. This is the

stage of self-realization, where the person realizes the true nature of self as separate from Prakriti.

Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi regarding a single object comprise the perfect discipline of

consciousness, known as Samyama[16]. Once Samyama has been mastered, wisdom dawns[17]. With

the practice of Samyama on successive moments of time, one receives an insight born of

discrimination (Viveka) [18]. Such discrimination helps to distinguish pure awareness as separate from

all the elements of Prakriti. When one situates one’s consciousness in this pure awareness, one is

able to be aware of the one who is aware, i.e., the observer can observe itself [19]. This leads to the

true identification of the self and leads to self-realization. The realized one becomes a pure Seer,

untainted by the transformations produced by the three Gunas[20] Prana is realized as the Power of Consciousness

(Chit-Shakti) that activates and illumines everything to the Observer (Purusha).

Citations

[1] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 2.29

[2] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 2.30

[3] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 2.32

[4] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 2.46

[5] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 2.47

[6] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 2.48

[7] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 2.49

[8] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 2.50

[9] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 2.51

[10] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 2.52

[11] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 2.54

[12] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 2.55

[13] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 3.1

[14] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 3.2

[15] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 3.3

[16] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 3.4

[17] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 3.5

[18] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 3.53

[19] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 3.56

[20] Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Shloka 4.34