Sammā

Right, complete, proper. Sammā (Pāli, equivalent to samyak in Sanskrit) is the prefix qualifying each factor of the Noble Eightfold Path, indicating that not just any version suffices, but the correct one.

The Noble Eightfold Path (ariya aṭṭhaṅgika magga):

1. Sammā diṭṭhi — Right view
2. Sammā saṅkappa — Right intention
3. Sammā vācā — Right speech
4. Sammā kammanta — Right action
5. Sammā ājīva — Right livelihood
6. Sammā vāyāma — Right effort
7. Sammā sati — Right mindfulness
8. Sammā samādhi — Right concentration

Sammā doesn’t mean “right” in a moralistic sense, but “complete, integral, functioning.” A wheel that turns smoothly is sammā; one that squeaks is not. Each path factor is sammā when it functions as it should to lead to awakening.

In Patañjali’s yoga, the yamas and niyamas serve a parallel function: not commandments but optimal conditions for practice.