What is Asteya?
Asteya is the third yama (ethical restraint) found in sutra 2.37 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras: Asteya pratisthayam sarva ratna upasthanam, meaning when someone is completely established in non-stealing, all things precious come near. Asteya literally means non-stealing. But at the deepest level, asteya means abandoning the very intent or desire to possess or steal anything—whether material, a talent, a relationship, a gift, achievement, success, time, or natural resources—that does not belong to you, through force or deceit or exploitation, by deeds or words or thoughts.
The basic idea of asteya is that a person should neither steal, nor have the intention or desire to steal, anything belonging to another person. This applies to speech and thoughts as well as actions. As one of five yamas—the first limb in Patanjali’s eight-limbed path—asteya governs how we relate to the external world and guides us toward integrity, sufficiency, and respect.
Origins & Lineage
The Yoga Sutras are a compilation of transcriptions of other ancient texts by a man (and most likely many of his colleagues and students) named Patanjali, presumably from India, living somewhere between the 2nd century BCE and the 5th century CE. The Yoga Sutras were compiled in India in the early centuries CE by the sage Patanjali, who collected and organized knowledge about yoga from Samkhya, Buddhism, and older Yoga traditions. Asteya is mentioned throughout many Indian texts, including the Sutras, the Mahabharata (which the Bhagavad Gita is part of), the Upanishads and the Vedas.
The principle extends beyond Hinduism: asteya is a Sanskrit word that refers to the virtue of non-stealing and is important in both Hinduism and Jainism. It is one of the five yamas of the Yoga Sutras and one of the 10 types of self-restraint presented in Hindu philosophy and ethical studies. Mahatma Gandhi expanded the concept in the 20th century, defining asteya as the basic human right to own property without fear and referring to it as an extension of ahimsa (non-violence), as theft is a type of violence.
How It’s Practiced
Asteya is embodied both in restraint from harm and in active cultivation of abundance, generosity, and self-respect. It shows up in practical choices:
Do not take what doesn’t belong to you. Do not take that which you haven’t earned. This applies to material things, as well as respecting others’ time, energy and hard work. If you’re always showing up for appointments 10 minutes late, you are stealing another’s valuable time. If you take credit for someone else’s idea or hard work, that is not practicing asteya.
In yoga practice itself, respecting personal limits means avoiding pushing yourself into poses that your body isn’t ready for—stealing from your body’s well-being by overexerting can lead to injury. Each individual’s practice is unique. Embrace where you are in your journey without feeling the need to ‘steal’ others’ progress by comparing yourself.
Beyond the mat, asteya asks practitioners to examine consumption, speech, punctuality, and intellectual honesty. Swami Satchidananda says that buying more than we need is actually stealing things by not letting others use them; if one person has fifty garments in his closet and his neighbor has none, the first person is stealing the second’s usage.
Asteya Today
Modern seekers encounter asteya in yoga studios, mindfulness trainings, ethics workshops, and spiritual community settings. Teachers incorporate it into vinyasa, hatha, and restorative classes as a lens for self-reflection. The lesson of asteya is that there is already enough. Retreats focused on the yamas and niyamas devote sessions to asteya, inviting participants to examine hoarding, hurry, comparison, and environmental extraction.
In a culture defined by consumerism and distraction, asteya invites recalibration: arriving on time, writing concise emails, giving credit where it’s due, listening without interrupting, and resisting the compulsion to hoard resources or attention. The need to steal essentially arises because of a lack of faith in ourselves to be able to create what we need by ourselves. The moment we feel a sense of ‘lack’ in life—desire, want and greed arises.
Common Misconceptions
Asteya is not merely refraining from shoplifting or plagiarism. It includes subtler transgressions: coveting another’s success, monopolizing conversations, showing up late, or taking more than one needs. Awareness is important because most people think they don’t steal. However, theft creeps into our lives in forms like slacking off at work or making a spiteful comment that steals someone’s joy.
Asteya is also not about self-deprivation. Asteya also means balance between give and take. For some people, this may mean taking what is needed more often. Denying yourself rest, joy, or nourishment is stealing from your own well-being.
Finally, asteya is not isolated from the other yamas. There is a certain amount of satya (honesty) and ahimsa (non-harming) intertwined with asteya. They function as an integrated ethical framework.
How to Begin
Start with observation. For one week, notice when you arrive late, interrupt someone, or scroll through someone else’s ideas without acknowledgment. Track moments of comparison or envy. Reflect on whether you hoard time, attention, or resources out of fear.
Read The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice by Deborah Adele, which offers accessible, practical exercises for each yama. Study the Yoga Sutras themselves—translations by Edwin Bryant, Chip Hartranft, or B.K.S. Iyengar include commentary that clarifies Patanjali’s intent.
Practice one concrete shift: arrive five minutes early to appointments, give credit in conversation, or donate items you haven’t used in a year. In asana practice, honor your edge without grasping for the next pose. Cultivate the felt sense that you have enough and you are enough.