History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c94.212
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c94.212
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In some works, such as the Gorakṣasaṁhitā the aṅgas of yoga are said to be only six (omitting yama and niyama or omitting some others). The Maitrāyaṇī Up. (VI. 18), the Dhyānabindu Up. the Atri-smṛti XI. 6, Dakṣa VII. 34, Skandapurāṇa, Kāśīkhaṇḍa, 41. 59 and Buddhists say the same. Manu²³²⁷ provides (IV. 204) 'a wise man should always practise *yamas* but not the *niyamas* always, one who only practises niyamas and does not practise yamas incurs sin (or falls into hell)'. This does not mean that niyamas are forbidden but it means only this that yamas are far more important than niyamas. The words 'yama' and 'niyama' both occur in the Śāntiparva (cr. ed. 326. 15 and 339 16 of Ch. ed.). Some Smṛtis omit them from the aṅgas of yoga probably because they are prescribed for all persons in general by Manu, Yāj. and others. Manu does not enumerate yamas and niyamas, but Yāj (quoted on p 1406, n. 2303 above) enumerates ten yamas and ten niyamas. The five yamas²³²⁸ of the Y. S. are *ahiṁsā* (non-injury to all creatures and at all times), *satya* (truthfulness), *asteya* (non-stealing i. e. not appropriating others' things in a way not sanctioned by the Śāstra), *brahmacarya* (i. e. control of the organ of generation while guarding the other organs of sense also), *aparigraha* (non-acceptance of anything from another beyond what is necessary for preserving the body).
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These five constitute for a yogin a great *vrata* when practised without reference to species, place, time and occasions (or exigencies). As provided by Manu, yamas have to be observed by all but there are exceptions. The observance of yamas would be called *vrata*, but the rigorous observance of yamas without allowing exceptions is called by the Y. S. *mahāvrata* which has to be observed by yogins without exception at all stages. The observance of yamas and niyamas is a first step for the soul's ultimate success in winning Liberation or Isolation (kaivalya), since, unless the soul is purged of all sexual and egoistic desires, it cannot live the divine or spiritual life that the higher stages of yoga require. What is meant may be briefly exemplified as follows: Smṛtis recognize some exceptions to all these in the case of ordinary people. For example, it is the kṣatriya's duty to fight and therefore it was provided by Manu (VII. 87, 89) that a kṣatriya should not run away from battle and that kṣatriyas fighting and dying in battle on both sides went to heaven. Vide Yāj. I. 324. So *hiṁsā* was allowed to a kṣatriya but if he wanted to follow the Yoga discipline he had to give up hiṁsā. Similarly, Smṛtis excused untruth on five occasions (vide Gautama 23. 29, Vasiṣṭha 16 36, Ādiparva 82 16, Śāntiparva 34. 25 and 165. 30, quoted in H of Dh vol III. p 353 and notes 536, 537) Manu in IV.
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138 makes an exception for ordinary men viz one should not speak what though true is painful to another (na brūyāt satyamapriyam). But one who enters on the discipline of Yoga must always speak the truth except when speaking the truth would result in the ruin of creatures²³²⁹ The Mitākṣarā on Yāj III 312 remarks that telling a falsehood in the case of arranging a marriage though excused (by smṛtis) should be avoided and also the beating of a son or a pupil as punishment by one who observes a *vrata*. A householder who approaches his wife on certain specified days after her monthly illness and avoids the parvan days (vide H. of Dh. vol. III n 1425) is to be regarded as one observing brahmacarya, acc. to Yāj I. 79 and Manu IV. 128, but if he takes to the path of Yoga, he would have to give up this latitude (vide note 2308, ²³³⁰ above) and avoid all contact whatever with all women including his own wife as the Liṅgapurāṇa emphasizes The Yuktidīpikā, one of the earliest commentaries on the Sāṅkhyakārikā, mentions (on p. 112) five yamas but puts ‘akalkaṭā’ (absence of crookedness) as the 5th instead of *aparigraha*. The Viṣṇupurāṇa (VI. 7. 36-37) enumerates five yamas and five niyamas as in Y. S. but substitutes ‘mind bent on the highest brahma’ (*kurvīta brahmaṇi tathā parasmin pravaṇaṁ manaḥ*) for ‘Īśvarapraṇidhāna’. The five niyamas according to Y S. II.
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32 ²³³¹ are *śauca* (cleanliness), *saṁtoṣa* (contentment), *tapas* (austerity), *svādhyāya* (study of Veda), *īśvarapraṇidhāna* (devotion to God, or surrendering all actions to him). Three of the five niyamas, viz. tapas, svādhyāya and Īśvarapraṇidhāna constitute *kriyāyoga* as already stated in Y. S. II. 1. It is most difficult to give an objective definition of duty, but duties can be defined on the subjective side. The object of emphasizing duties is to make men rise above lower desires and to make the higher self shine forth. These are based more or less on the Upaniṣads; vide e. g. Chān. Up. III. 17. 4 where *tapas*, *ahiṁsā*, *truthfulness*, *dāna*, (charity) and *ārjava* (straightforwardness) are put forward as virtues to be cultivated by a sacrificer, Bṛ. Up. V. 2.3. where all men are asked to cultivate *dama* (self-restraint), *dāna* (charity), *dayā* (kindness). Therefore, the *yamas* prescribed by the Yogasūtra constitute what may be called extra-regarding duties and are mostly in the nature of prohibitions (such as 'don't injure anyone, don't tell a lie, don't rob a person, don't accept gifts'), while the niyamas are concerned with the individual himself (who has embarked on Yoga practice) and are of a positive character (viz. be clean, be contented, be austere, do study the Veda and be a devotee of Īśvara).
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The Amarakośa²³³² defines 'yama' as actions that are obligatory (or to be always performed) and that depend upon the body as the means for being carried out, while niyamas are acts that are not obligatory (or not to be continuously engaged in) and that depend (for carrying them out) on means that are outside the body (such as water &c). Śauca (cleanliness) is of two kinds, *bāhya* (of the body effected with water, loose earth, pañcagavya, pure food &c.) and *ābhyantara* (internal or mental). Vide H. of Dh. vol. II. pp. 651–52 and vol. IV. pp. 310–311 for details of the *śauca* of both kinds. A verse of Manu (V. 106) deserves to be noted²³³³ in this connection viz 'of all kinds of śauca the highest is the one that relates to wealth (one must desire wealth without depriving another of his wealth by improper means), that man is *śuci* (pure) who is pure as to wealth and not he who is purified by loose earth and water.' Sūtras 33–34 of pāda II provide that when the practitioner of Yoga is assailed by the outbreak of the fever of perverse thoughts (such as 'I shall kill him who has harmed me', 'I shall tell a lie, I shall appropriate another's wealth, I shall commit adultery with another's wife'), he should revolve in his mind and cultivate the opposites of such thoughts and dwell on the consequences of such thoughts, viz. they cause endless suffering and lack of right knowledge.
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Yama and niyama constitute the preliminary ethical code which an aspirant for yoga must observe and some part of it must be followed by all men as Manu and Yāj. prescribe.