History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c94.212.4

v7.c94.212.4

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).