Verse 4.204

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

यमान् सेवेत सततं न नित्यं नियमान् बुधः ।
यमान् पतत्यकुर्वाणो नियमान् केवलान् भजन् ॥ २०४ ॥

yamān seveta satataṃ na nityaṃ niyamān budhaḥ |
yamān patatyakurvāṇo niyamān kevalān bhajan || 204 ||

The wise man shall always observe the Restraints, but not necessarily the Observances. Not observing the Restraints, and keeping the Observances alone, he falls.—(204)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Yamas,’ ‘Restraints,’ are negative, of the nature of prohibitions; e.g., ‘the Brāhmaṇa should not be killed,’ ‘wine should not be drunk,’ and so forth. The ‘niyamas,’ ‘observances,’ are positive in form, of the nature of something to be done; e.g., ‘one shall daily recite the Veda,’ and so forth.

‘Not necessarily the Observances.’—This does not mean that one shall not keep the Observances; all that is meant is that the Restraints are more obligatory in their character than the Observances.

This is what is further emphasized:—‘Not observing the Restraints, one falls.’ If the Restraints are not observed, it means that Brāhmaṇa-killing and such acts are done, which means that the man has become an outcast, and people do not find it advisable to sit near him or have any dealings with him. It is not so in the case of the non-keeping of the Observances. To this effect we have the following assertions current among cultured people:—

‘The man who keeps the Observances, but is not intent upon the Restraints, falls; but he who observes the Restraints, but not the Observances, does not suffer. Therefore, one should devote one’s attentions to the Restraints, not minding the Observances so much.’

For some people, the terms ‘Yama’ and ‘Niyama’ have technical significations,—e.g., (a) ‘not injuring others, truthfulness, continence, sinlessness, non-thieving,—these five constitute the Yamas, the major observances; (b) Absence of Anger, Attendance on the Teacher, Purity, Light Food, Carefulness,—these constitute the five Niyamas, the minor Observances.’

Even according to this view, the present verse indicates the relative importance of the two sets of duties.

Thus, what the present verse lays down is neither that one shall observe the Yamas, nor that one shall not keep the Observances; since both are equally prescribed by the scriptures.—(204)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Yama’ and ‘nigama’ are best taken as explained by Medhātithi; though Kullūka and others quote the somewhat artificial distinction made by Yājñavalkya (III. 313-314).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Yājñavalkya (3.312-313).—‘Celibacy, Compassion, Forgiveness, Charitableness, Truthfulness, Straightforwardness, Harmlessness, Non-appropriation of other’s property, Sweet disposition and Self-control have been declared to be the

Restraints.—Bathing, Silence, Fasting, Sacrificing, Study, Control of the sexual organs, Attendance on the teacher, Cleanliness, Freedom from anger and Alertness are the Observances.’

Atri (47).—[Same as Manu.]