Thank you very much for your observations. I have not been aware of the variations on the concept of yama/niyama in Puranas and later Yogic texts, it is most interesting.
The subject of difference in "niyama" regulations for ascetics at different stages in Kauṇḍinya's theory is quite interesting. Kauṇḍinya himself considers it a peculiar trait of the system, or scripture ("tantra"). At the same time, a similar differentiation of niyama rules seems to be accepted by some early Naiyāyikas, who otherwise seem to follow quite closely the theory of Patañjali (with regard to the practice of Yoga).
Even though it seems true, that Nyāya came under influence of Pāśupata authors at some point, this idea of differentiation of niyamas is hinted at even in Vātsyāyana's Bhāṣya--which was written too early to speak about Pāśupata influence, I think. Hence the search for other possible sources of this peculiar variation.
With best wishes,
Rafal

On 26 April 2016 at 20:52, Seth Powell <sethpowell@g.harvard.edu> wrote:
Dear Rafal, 

Later medieval tantric and Haṭhayoga treatises sometimes include both 10 yamas and 10 niyamas. For example, Chapter 25 of the Śāradātilakatantra, the Śivayogadīpikā, Yogayajñāvalkya, and many others — and here, I imagine, particularly for the Śaiva texts, they might be drawing from the earlier Pāśupata yoga traditions.

As always, across these yoga texts and traditions, there is fluidity and malleability, but they seem to all draw from a shared yama-niyama palette, if you will. The īśvāra-praṇidhāna of the PYŚ, for example, often takes on a more sectarian flavor in the later texts, such as śaṅkara-pūjanaṃ in the Śivayogadīpikā.  

Yet, often the medieval yoga texts appear to explicitly omit them, such as Svātmārāma’s Haṭhapradīpikā (although a later 10-chapter version of this text does include yamas and niyamas), and thus we are left to speculate on their optionality. Perhaps they were left to be filled in by a guru, or elsewhere from a sectarian tradition, or were in fact left out of yogic praxis entirely (although I doubt this). But I think it’s safe to say if they are included in a prescriptive yoga text, they were not considered optional for that author, but rather par for the course. This is most clear in the PYŚ and its commentaries, as Prof. Bryant astutely notes, but I think also holds for the later medieval texts as well.

Best wishes,

Seth 

---

Seth D. Powell
Doctoral Student
Committee on the Study of Religion
Harvard University

ATG Student Consultant
Academic Technology Group (ATG)
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p 707 494 4721

On Apr 26, 2016, at 8:02 AM, edbryant@rci.rutgers.edu wrote:


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.



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