Re: [INDOLOGY] Yama/niyama in Pāśupata and Yoga

[edbryant at rci.rutgers.edu]

> 1. Are there other traditions which consider yama regulations to be
> permanent, and niyamas to be subject to change, depending on time, place,
> etc.? Is it a common understanding of the division between yama and niyama
> among philosophers of Yoga, or in other branches of Åšaivism?

I don't recall reading this in any YS commentary. It probably comes from
the idea that it is after the yama verse that Patanjali stresses (with
uncharacteristic emphasis, one might add, both in terms of his own overall
tone, and in terms of the sutra penchant for non-repetition or
redundancy), that they are inviolable (i.e. he chose not to state this
after the niyama verse which follows the yama verse). However, 3 of the
niyamas are listed under kriya yoga in the opening verse of chapter 2, so,
given they are repeated again in the astanga section there is no sense in
the YS tradition that they are optional.

> 2. Are there other traditions accepting ten yama regulations?

The Bhagavata Purana has 10 yamas.  If the Pasupata texts have 10, I would
probably search the Siva, Skandha or Linga puranas for precedents.

With best wishes,  Edwin Bryant.