Editing Ahimsa (section)

===Yoga===
{{transliteration|sa|Ahimsa}} means "abstinence from malice towards all living creatures in every way and at all times".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mookerji |first=Radha Kumud |title=Ancient Indian education: brahmanical and Buddhist |date=1998 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0423-4 |edition=[5.] repr |location=Delhi |pages=313}}</ref> ''Ahimsa'' is imperative for practitioners of [[Patañjali]]'s eight limb [[Raja yoga]] system. It is included in the first limb and is the first of five {{transliteration|sa|[[Yamas]]}} (self restraints) which, together with the second limb, make up the code of ethical conduct in Yoga philosophy.<ref name="pyogas3t">Sanskrit Original with '''Translation 1''': {{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/yogaphilosophyb00tatygoog#page/n6/mode/2up |title=The Yoga Philosophy, with Bhojaraja commentary |translator-first=Tookaram|translator-last=Tatya |publisher=The Theosophical Society's Publications |location=Bombay |year=1885}}
*'''Translation 2''': {{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/yogadaranasutra00patagoog#page/n4/mode/2up |title=The Yoga-darsana: The sutras of Patanjali with the Bhasya of Vyasa, with notes |translator-first=Gangânâtha|translator-last=Jhâ |date=1907 |publisher=Bombay Theosophical Publication Fund}}
*'''Translation 3''': {{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/yogasutrasofpata00pata#page/n5/mode/2up |title=The Yogasutras of Patanjali |translator-first=Charles|translator-last=Johnston |year=1912 |location=New York}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last=Lochtefeld | first=James G. | chapter=Yama (2)|title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism|volume=2 (N–Z) | publisher=Rosen Publishing Group | year=2002 | isbn=978-0-8239-3179-8 | page= 777}}</ref> Commentators on the [[Yoga Sutras of Patanjali|Yoga Sutras]] II.30 emphasize that ''ahimsa'' is the most important and foundational ''yama'' of the five ''yamas''. [[Vijnanabhiksu]] uses the analogy of an elephant to convey its importance, while [[Vyasa]] defines it as refraining from harming any living being at any time, emphasizing that all other ''yamas'' support and purify ''ahimsa''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bryant |first=Edwin F. |title=The Yoga sūtras of Patañjali: a new edition, translation and commentary with insights from the traditional commentators |date=2009 |publisher=North Point Press |isbn=978-0-86547-736-0 |location=New York |pages=243–248}}</ref>

{{transliteration|sa|Ahimsa}} is also one of the ten {{transliteration|sa|Yamas}} in [[Hatha Yoga]] according to verse 1.1.17 of its classic manual ''[[Hatha Yoga Pradipika]]''.<ref>Sanskrit: {{lang|sa|अथ यम-नियमाः '''अहिंसा''' सत्यमस्तेयं बरह्मछर्यं कष्हमा धॄतिः <nowiki>|</nowiki> दयार्जवं मिताहारः शौछं छैव यमा दश <nowiki>||</nowiki> १७ <nowiki>||</nowiki>}}<br />English Translation: {{cite book|chapter-url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/hyp/hyp03.htm |url-status=live|chapter=1. On Âsanas|at=1.1.17|title=Hatha Yoga Pradipika|translator-first=Pancham|translator-last=Sinh|year=1914|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100405092859/http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/hyp/hyp03.htm |archive-date=5 April 2010 }}</ref> The significance of {{transliteration|sa|ahimsa}} as the first restraint in the first limb of Yoga ({{transliteration|sa|Yamas}}) is that it defines the necessary foundation for progress through Yoga. It is a precursor to {{transliteration|sa|Asana}}, implying that success in {{transliteration|sa|Yogasana}} can be had only if the self is purified in [[Manasa, vacha, karmana|thought, word, and deed]] through the self-restraint of {{transliteration|sa|ahimsa}}.