Item 9 in Yamas and Niyamas

Svadhyaya — Study and Self-Study

Study relevant texts and examine one's own motives, habits and assumptions.

Position
9
Form
Practice or observance
Obligation
Recommended
Wording status
Editorial paraphrase
Intended audience
Practitioners of classical Yoga, with later application in wider Hindu and modern yoga traditions
Last reviewed
28 June 2026

Names and terminology

Canonical name: Svadhyaya — Study and Self-Study

Original term: Svādhyāya

Source wording

Editorial paraphrase: Study relevant texts and examine one's own motives, habits and assumptions.

Editorial paraphrase

Literal meaning

Study relevant texts and examine one's own motives, habits and assumptions.

Broader interpretation

Interpretation depends on the framework's historical purpose, intended audience and relationship to its other principles.

Ethical purpose

To shape conduct or character in a way consistent with the wider ethical framework.

Modern application

Modern application requires attention to consent, rights, evidence, foreseeable harm and changing social conditions.

Criticism and difficult cases

Application can become difficult when this principle conflicts with another duty, when harm is indirect, or when ancient social assumptions do not fit modern conditions.

Truth By Reason analysis

Truth By Reason assesses this principle according to evidence, rights, intentions, foreseeable consequences and consistency with the treatment of all affected beings.

Ethical themes

  • Wisdom
  • Truth-seeking

Sources