History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c91.116

v7.c91.116

¹⁵²⁵ अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेयं ब्रह्मचर्यापरिग्रहौ । यमाः संक्षेपतः प्रोक्ताश्चित्तशुद्धिप्रदा नृणाम् । कर्मणा मनसा वाचा सर्वभूतेषु सर्वदा । अक्लेशजननं प्रोक्ता त्वहिंसा परमर्षिभिः ॥ अहिंसायाः परो धर्मो नास्त्यहिंसापरं सुखम् । विधिना या भवेद्धिंसा त्वहिंसैव प्रकीर्तिता ॥ कूर्म II. 11. 13-15 The लिङ्गपुराण (chap 8 8-9) enumerates the eight *sādhanas* of योग of which यम is first and mentions five as in कूर्म Yamas (abstinences) are variously enumerated Kūrma appears to follow the योगसूत्र II. 30-31 'अहिंसा-सत्य-अस्तेय-ब्रह्मचर्यापरिग्रहा यमाः । शौच-सन्तोष-तप.-स्वाध्याय-ईश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः ।'. Manu IV. 204 provides generally that one should always practise yamas and that one may not always practise the niyamas, but does not name them. Medhātithi explains that yamas are prohibitions (viz. not to injure life, not to steal, not to tell an untruth, not to have forbidden sexual intercourse and not to possess wealth that belongs to another or not to accept gifts), while niyamas consist of positive acts, such as one should always study the Veda (as in Manu IV 147) Yāj III 312-313 enumerates ten *yamas* viz celibacy, compassion, forbearance, charity, absence of crooked conduct, *ahiṁsā*, non-stealing, sweetness, restraint of senses and ten niyamas. The वैखानस-स्मार्तसूत्र (IX 4) enumerates ten yamas.