अष्टाङ्ग योग - The Eight Limbs of Yoga (from Patañjali Yoga Sūtras)
Complete lyrics with original text, transliteration, and meaning, 10 sections
The Eight Limbs of Yoga
Invocation & Sūtra 2.29 (Listing the Eight Limbs)
Original
योगाङ्गानुष्ठानादशुद्धिक्षये ज्ञानदीप्तिराविवेकख्यातेः ॥२९॥ यमनियमासनप्राणायामप्रत्याहारधारणाध्यानसमाधयोऽष्टावङ्गानि ॥३०॥
Transliteration
yogāṅgānuṣṭhānād aśuddhi-kṣaye jñāna-dīptir ā viveka-khyāteḥ ||29|| yama-niyama-āsana-prāṇāyāma-pratyāhāra-dhāraṇā-dhyāna-samādhayo 'ṣṭāv aṅgāni ||30||
Meaning / Translation
Through the practice of the limbs of yoga, impurities are destroyed and the light of wisdom shines forth, leading to discriminative discernment. The eight limbs are: Yama, Niyama, Āsana, Prāṇāyāma, Pratyāhāra, Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna, and Samādhi.
1. Yama (यम) - Universal Ethical Restraints
Original
अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेय ब्रह्मचर्यापरिग्रहा यमाः ॥३०॥
Transliteration
ahiṃsā satyam asteya brahmacarya aparigrahā yamāḥ ||30||
Meaning / Translation
The five Yamas are: Non-violence (Ahiṃsā), Truthfulness (Satya), Non-stealing (Asteya), Celibacy/Continence (Brahmacarya), and Non-possessiveness (Aparigraha).
2. Niyama (नियम) - Personal Observances
Original
शौच सन्तोष तपः स्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः ॥३२॥
Transliteration
śauca saṃtoṣa tapaḥ svādhyāyeśvara-praṇidhānāni niyamāḥ ||32||
Meaning / Translation
The five Niyamas are: Purity (Śauca), Contentment (Saṃtoṣa), Austerity/Discipline (Tapaḥ), Self-study/Study of Scriptures (Svādhyāya), and Surrender to the Divine (Īśvara-praṇidhāna).
3. Āsana (आसन) - Steady and Comfortable Posture
Original
स्थिरसुखमासनम् ॥४६॥
Transliteration
sthira-sukham āsanam ||46||
Meaning / Translation
Āsana is a posture that is steady (sthira) and comfortable (sukha) — the foundation for meditation.
4. Prāṇāyāma (प्राणायाम) - Breath Control / Expansion of Life Force
Original
तस्मिन् सति श्वासप्रश्वासयोर्गतिविच्छेदः प्राणायामः ॥४९॥
Transliteration
tasmin sati śvāsa-praśvāsayoḥ gati-vicchedaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ ||49||
Meaning / Translation
Once Āsana is perfected, Prāṇāyāma is the regulation (viccheda) of the flow of inhalation (śvāsa) and exhalation (praśvāsa) — controlling the vital energy (prāṇa).
5. Pratyāhāra (प्रत्याहार) - Withdrawal of the Senses
Original
स्वविषयासम्प्रयोगे चित्तस्य स्वरूपानुकार इव इन्द्रियाणां प्रत्याहारः ॥५४॥
Transliteration
sva-viṣayāsaṃprayoge cittasya svarūpa-anukāra iva indriyāṇāṃ pratyāhāraḥ ||54||
Meaning / Translation
Pratyāhāra is the withdrawal of the senses (indriyāṇām) from their objects (viṣaya), causing them to imitate the nature of the mind (citta) — turning awareness inward.
6. Dhāraṇā (धारणा) - Concentration
Original
देशबन्धश्चित्तस्य धारणा ॥१॥ (विभूतिपाद)
Transliteration
deśa-bandhaś cittasya dhāraṇā ||1|| (vibhūti-pāda)
Meaning / Translation
Dhāraṇā is the binding (bandha) of the mind (citta) to a single place, point, or object (deśa) — focused attention.
7. Dhyāna (ध्यान) - Meditation
Original
तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम् ॥२॥
Transliteration
tatra pratyaya-ekatānatā dhyānam ||2||
Meaning / Translation
Dhyāna is the continuous, uninterrupted flow (ekatānatā) of cognition (pratyaya) toward that same object — sustained meditation.
8. Samādhi (समाधि) - Absorption / Union
Original
तदेवार्थमात्रनिर्भासं स्वरूपशून्यमिव समाधिः ॥३॥
Transliteration
tad-eva-artha-mātra-nirbhāsaṃ svarūpa-śūnyam iva samādhiḥ ||3||
Meaning / Translation
Samādhi is when only the essence of the object (artha-mātra) shines forth, as if the mind's own form (svarūpa) is empty — complete absorption, where the meditator, meditation, and object become one.
Closing: The Fruit of the Eight Limbs (Sūtra 2.28)
Original
योगाङ्गानुष्ठानादशुद्धिक्षये ज्ञानदीप्तिराविवेकख्यातेः ॥२८॥
Transliteration
yogāṅgānuṣṭhānād aśuddhi-kṣaye jñāna-dīptir ā viveka-khyāteḥ ||28||
Meaning / Translation
By the sustained practice of the eight limbs of yoga, impurities (aśuddhi) are destroyed (kṣaye), and the radiant light of knowledge (jñāna-dīpti) arises, culminating in discriminative wisdom (viveka-khyāti) — the realization of the true Self (Puruṣa) distinct from matter (Prakṛti).