Chapter 372 - The major and minor religious observances (yamas and niyamas)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Fire-god said:

1-2a. I shall describe to you the yoga having eight constituents in order to get free from the sufferings due to mundane existence. Knowledge makes Brahman manifest. There, yoga is the concentration of mind and the withdrawal of the mind (from all other objects). (It is) the highest (union) of the individual soul and the Supreme Brahman.

2b-3. O Brahmin! Non-injury, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy and rejection of gifts are known to be the five major observances [i.e., yama]. These together with the minor observances [i.e., niyama] yield enjoyment and emancipation. Purity, contentment, penance, study of one’s own scriptures, worship of God are minor observances.

4-5a. Non-injury means not causing injury to the beings. Non-injury is the foremost virtue. Just as the footsteps of the travellers on foot could be contained in the footstep of an elephant, so also all the virtuous acts are said (to be included) in non-injury.

5b-7a. Injury (would) create anxiety, cause suffering, mental and physical pain (spilling of blood), slandering, great obstruction to beneficial thing, opening of vulnerable parts, denial of happiness, obstruction and killing. Thus it is of ten kinds.

7b-8. Truthfulness is defined as speech that would be extremely beneficial to beings. Speak the truth. Speak what is pleasing. But do not speak the truth that is not pleasing. Do not also tell a lie that would be pleasing. This is the eternal virtue.

9-10. Celibacy is the shunning of sexual enjoyment. It is eightfold. Men declare that sexual enjoyment is eightfold such as remembrance, praise, sport, seeing, talking in secret, resolve, endeavours and the final consummation.

11-12a. Celibacy is at the root of action and an action becomes fruitless otherwise. Even the elders in age and wisdom, such as Vasiṣṭha, Candramas, Śukra, the preceptor of gods (Bṛhaspati), and Pitāmaha (Brahmā) were captivated by women.

12b-14a. The three kinds of wine are known as gauḍī (from molasses), paiṣṭī (from flour) and mādhvī (from honey). The fourth sort of wine is known as woman by which the world has been deluded. One gets intoxicated just after seeing a woman, but one gets intoxicated by wine only after drinking. Since a woman is like wine by being looked at, one should not look at her.

14b-15a. A person who forcibly takes away another’s possession, whatever it may be, would certainly attain the state of lower animals. (Similar would be the result) for eating (stealthily) the butter offered as oblation.

15b-17a. (A mendicant) may accept a loin-cloth as covering, clothing, wallet that prevents cold and a pair of sandals. But one should not covet anything beyond these. Dress etc. are put on (the body) for the sustenance of the body. Body is associated with virtue. Hence it should be protected with care.

l7b-18. Purity is said to be twofold—external and internal. External purity is to be maintained by means of earth and water and the internal by cleaning the feelings. One who is pure in both these respects is said to be pure, and not otherwise.

19-20a. Contentment is said to be the feeling of satisfaction with whatever one gets. Penance is the concentration of the mind and senses on a single object. The conquest of senses and mind is said to be the foremost among all virtues. Penance which fulfils all desires is threefold, namely, oral consisting of repetition of sacred formulae etc., mental (consisting of) eschewing desires, and physical (consisting of) the worship of gods etc.

20b-31. The Vedas begin with praṇava (the syllable oṃ) and also end with the praṇava. Praṇava is the entire collection of words. Hence one has to repeat praṇava. (It is composed of) the syllables a, u and m, (the latter) being half a syllabic instant. The three syllabic instants (represent) the three Vedas. The three worlds Bhū etc. are its qualities. (It also represents) the three states such as waking, dreaming and deep sleep. (It is also equated with) the gods Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara. (The divine forms) such as Pradyumna, Śrīvāsudeva etc. (have all come) duly from the syllable Oṃ. (The praṇava) to which a syllabic instant is not added or that which is bereft ofa syllabic instant or more is not auspicious. One who has learnt the syllable oṃ is a sage and none else. The fourth syllabic instant is endowed with the gāndhārī (accent) and is indicated on the head. It is the fourth one, the Supreme Brahman, like the lamp in a pot. One has to contemplate always (that Brahman) resting in the lotus of the heart. Praṇava is the bow, the (individual) soul is the arrow and Brahman is said to be its target. It should be known with all assiduity and one should become united like the arrow. This single syllable is Brahman. It is the supreme entity. A person who knows this syllable would get what he wishes (to get). The goddess Gāyatrī is its metre. The lord within is known to be its sage. The Supreme Soul is its deity. This application would yield enjoyment and prosperity. ‘Bhūḥ, to the soul of fire’ is (the formula of) the heart. ‘Bhuvaḥ, to the soul of Prajāpati’ is (the formula of) the head. ‘Svaḥ, to the soul of Sun’ is said to be the armour of the tuft. ‘Oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ’ is the armour. ‘To the soul of truth’ (is) the weapon. After having placed (lord) Viṣṇu, one should repeat (this formula) for the sake of enjoyment and emancipation.

32-33. One should offer oblations of sesamum and clarified butter etc. One would obtain all things. A person who repeats the syllable twelve thousand times everyday would have the manifestation of the Supreme Brahman (in front of him) in twelve months. By the repetition (of the syllable) one crore times (one would gain perfections) such as aṇimā (subtlety) etc. One would gain the grace of the (goddess of) learning (by repeating this) a lakh times.

34. Sacrificial rites for (lord) Viṣṇu are of three kinds, Vedic, Tāntric and mixed. One should worship (lord) Hari (Viṣṇu), by one of these three methods that is desired.

35. The position which one gains by prostrating flat on the ground like a stick and worshipping (lord Viṣṇu), (he would) not (gain) by means of (performing) hundreds of sacrificial rites.

36. The import of these explained here would become manifest to those great men who have extreme devotion for the god and also for the preceptor as for the god.