Sūtra 2.32

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 2.32:

शौचसंतोषतपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः ॥ २.३२ ॥

śaucasaṃtoṣatapaḥsvādhyāyeśvarapraṇidhānāni niyamāḥ || 2.32 ||

śauca—cleanliness santoṣa—contentment, tapaḥ—purificatory action, svādhyāya—study. īśvara-praṇidhāna—the making of God, the motive of all action, all these, niyamāḥ—the observances.

32. The observances are Cleanliness, Contentment, Purificatory action, study and the making of the Lord the motive of all action.—83.

The Sankhya-pravachana commentary of Vyasa

[English translation of the 7th century commentary by Vyāsa called the Sāṅkhya-pravacana, Vyāsabhāṣya or Yogabhāṣya]

[Sanskrit text for commentary available]

Cleanliness, Contentment, Purificatory Action, Study and the making of Īśvara the motive of all actions, are the observances.

Of these, Cleanliness is external when brought about by earths and water, &c., and consists in the eating of pure things, &c. It is internal when it consists in the washing away of impurities of the mind.

Contentment is the absence of desire to secure more of the necessaries of life than one already possesses.

Purificatory action consists in the endurance of the pairs of opposites. The pairs of opposites are such as the desire to eat and the desire to drink; heat and cold; standing and sitting; the absence of speech (kāṣṭha mauna) and the absence of facial indications (ākāra mauna). It also includes such vows as the fasts of Cāndrāyaṇa and Santapana, &c., so far as necessary.

Study is the reading of the sciences of liberation (mokṣa) or the repetition of the Praṇava, the syllable Aum.

The making of Īśvara the motive of all actions, means the doing of all actions to fulfil the purpose of that Great Teacher. It is with reference to this state that the following has been said:—‘Lying down on a bed or seated or wandering along a road, ever given to Yoga, with the network of the sins to be restrained, removed, conscious of the destruction of the seed of repeated births, he shares the joys of immortality.”

Then is the understanding of the individual self and the absence of obstacles.—83.

The Gloss of Vachaspati Mishra

[English translation of the 9th century Tattvavaiśāradī by Vācaspatimiśra]

He describes the observances of Cleanliness, &c.

“Cleanliness, Contentment, Purificatory Action, Study and the making of God the motive of all actions are the observances......” Be explains these:—“Cleanliness is, &c.” The first et cetera’ means such things as cowdung plaster and other similar thing. Pure things are such as the urine of the cow, and barley, &c., which purify the body by removing impurities. The word ‘et cetera’ in connection with the eating of purifying things means the limitation of mouthfuls in size and number, &c.’ Instead of speaking of the purity caused by eating, &c., of purifying things, the words used here are only eating, &c., things. It is to be understood that the effect is meant by the mention of the cause.

Mental impurities are pride, jealousy, vanity, &c. Mental purity consists in their removal.

Contentment is the absence of desire to possess more than is necessary for the preservation of life. It should be added that this is because the appropriation of things not one’s own has already been given up.

The absence of facial indications which let into the secret of one’s mind, is the control of one’s self, so as not to transfer the thought at random. Absence of speech is the ordinary holding of the tongue.

The sins to be restrained are the causing of injury to others, lying, &c., which will be described later. They also include doubt and Untrue cognition. Next is described the sequence, on becoming purified by this much.

Further these restraints and observances are described in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa:—“Let the Yogī practise continence, harmlessness, truthfulness, abstinence from theft and noncovetousness without desire of fruit; and let him make his mind gradually fit for progress. He should also apply himself to study, cleanliness and purificatory actions and contentment; and let his mind rest upon the Parabrahma. These are the restraints and observances five each. When practised with desire they secure special fruit. To those who have no desire for fruit, they secure liberation.”—82.