2.29
यमनियमासनप्राणायामप्रत्याहारधारणाध्यानसमाधयोऽष्टावङ्गानि
yama-niyamāsana-prāṇāyāma-pratyāhāra-dhāraṇā-dhyāna-samādhayo 'ṣṭāv aṅgāni
The line
The eight limbs are restraint, observance, posture, breath regulation, withdrawal, holding, meditation, and samādhi (समाधि).
नेपालीमा
आठ अङ्ग यम, नियम, आसन, प्राणायाम, प्रत्याहार, धारणा, ध्यान र समाधि हुन्।
Where it sits
This is the table of contents for the rest of the practice. Yama and niyama fill 2.30–2.45. Posture, breath, and withdrawal fill 2.46–2.55. Holding, meditation, and samādhi (समाधि) open the third pāda (पाद). Learn the eight names in this order before you learn the details.
Split: yama (यम) + niyama (नियम) + āsana (आसन) + prāṇāyāma (प्राणायाम) + pratyāhāra (प्रत्याहार) + dhāraṇā (धारणा) + dhyāna (ध्यान) + samādhayaḥ (समाधयः) + aṣṭau (अष्टौ) + aṅgāni (अङ्गानि)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| yama (यम) | stem | restraint. The five of 2.30. |
| niyama (नियम) | stem | observance. The five of 2.32. |
| āsana (आसन) | stem | posture. |
| prāṇāyāma (प्राणायाम) | stem | regulation of breath. |
| pratyāhāra (प्रत्याहार) | stem | withdrawal of the senses. |
| dhāraṇā (धारणा) | stem | holding. Defined at 3.1. |
| dhyāna (ध्यान) | stem | meditation. Defined at 3.2. |
| samādhayaḥ (समाधयः) | nominative plural of samādhi (समाधि) | and samādhi (समाधि). The plural ending covers all eight names. |
| aṣṭau (अष्टौ) | nominative, dual-looking numeral | eight. |
| aṅgāni (अङ्गानि) | nominative plural, neuter | limbs. |
The phrases
Eight names, one plural on samādhi (समाधि). niyama (नियम) + āsana (आसन) is a (अ) + ā (आ) = ā (आ). samādhayaḥ aṣṭau (समाधयः अष्टौ) is recited samādhayo 'ṣṭau (समाधयोऽष्टौ), aḥ (अः) + a (अ). aṣṭau aṅgāni (अष्टौ अङ्गानि) is recited aṣṭāv aṅgāni (अष्टावङ्गानि): au (औ) before a vowel becomes āv (आव्).
aṣṭau aṅgāni (अष्टौ अङ्गानि) is “eight limbs,” the predicate. The line is a list, not a definition. Definitions follow, in order, from 2.30 to 3.3.
Sanskrit in this line
The new sandhi is au (औ) + a vowel. aṣṭau aṅgāni (अष्टौ अङ्गानि) is aṣṭāv aṅgāni (अष्टावङ्गानि). The u (उ) of the diphthong becomes the glide v (व्), and the a (अ) lengthens. You already know aḥ (अः) + a (अ) on samādhayaḥ aṣṭau (समाधयः अष्टौ). Both happen in this one line.
Say it back
Recite the eight in order. If the sixth or seventh will not come, those are the ones the third pāda (पाद) will define. Stay with the names.
Next
2.30. The restraints are non-harm, truth, non-stealing, continence, and non-grasping.