6.2. The concept of Niyama (religious observances)

Niyama means the religious observances. It is defined in the Yogasūtra as,

śaucasantoṣatapaḥ svādhyāyeśvarapraṇidhānāni niyamāḥ |^[1]

According to Aghorananda niyama is the complete detachment and meditation on God^[2]. It consists of the formation of good habits and improvement of one’s culture.

It constitutes the five steps such as,

1. Śauca (cleanliness),
2. Santoṣa (contentment),
3. Tapa (penance),
4. Svādhyāya (study and full aspiration),
5. Īśvarapraṇidhāna (dedication to god),

1) Śauca (cleanliness)

Among these śauca is of two types such as external and internal.

The cleaning of body by earth, water etc. is external and the removal of impurities of mind by means of benevolence is internal Vyāsa defines it thus:

śaucaṃ mṛjjalādijanitaṃ medhyābhyavaharāṇādi ca bāhyam ābhyantaraṃ cittamalānāmākṣālanam^[3] |

This means purification caused by earth and water or by the eating and drinking of the consecrated things is external and the washing away of mental impurities is internal.

The same is repeated in the Yogamaniprabha as:

śaucaṃ mṛjjalādikṛtaṃ gomūtrapāvakādimedhyāhārakṛtaṃ ca bāhyam |
āntaraṃ maitryādibhāvanayā cittasyāsūyādimalarāhityam || ^[4]

Here the washing of body with water and earth and taking of consecrated food like barley and drinks like cow’s urine mentions the external purification and keeping the mind free from jealousy etc. mentions the internal purification.

Again Bhāvagaṇeśā states:

śaucaṃ mṛjjalādinā bāhyaṃ pañcagavyādibhojanena ca ābhyantaraṃ etadubhayaṃ śarīram | mānasaṃ tu rāgadveṣādimalakṣālanam |^[5]

Of these two types of purification Vācaspati gives more importance to āntaraśauca (internal purification) because he says it enables the buddhisattva to attain the self-realization.

He states it thus:

cittamalānām ākṣālane cittasatvam amalam prādurbhavati vaimalyāt saumanasyaṃ svacchata svaccham tadekāgram tato manaḥ tantrāṇām indriyāṇām tadjayāt jayaḥ tatā āha-darśana yogyatvam buddhisatvasya bhavatīti || ^[6]

Through śauca a man becomes indifferent towards his own body and disgust to others also. Moreover, saumanasyām (cheerfulness of mind), ekāgrata (power of concentration), indriyajaya (control of senses) etc. also are the results of śauca. From śauca comes the mental purity by which one acquires its essence of high-mindedness, one -pointedness, sense control, fitness for self-observation etc.

2) Santoṣa (contentment):

Santoṣa is the 2^nd of niyama which signifies the state of being in contentment.

Yogasūtra says that the attainment of highest happiness is possible by santoṣa, that is:

santoṣādanuttamā sukhalābhaḥ |^[7]

In the state of santoṣa the mind cannot be affected by the external objects and it may be possessed with a detachment. So also any external pleasure cannot be equalled with it.

Thus Vyāsa says,

yañca kāmasukhaṃ lokeyañca divyaṃ mahatsukhaṃ |
tṛṣṇākṣayasukhasyaite nārhataḥ ṣoḍaśīṃ kalāmiti |^[8]

This state of santoṣa can be acquired by a yogi, says Ānandadeva. For him the external pleasure cannot be equalled to a part of its hundreds.

3) Tapa (penance):

The 3^rd of niyama is tapas, from which occurs the destruction of impurities for the physical perfection and for the perfection of the senses.

It is stated in the yogasūtra as:

kāyendriyasiddhiraśuddhi kṣayattapasaḥ |^[9]

The tapas (purificatory action) alone being accomplished destroys the dirt of the veil of the second impurities. After the removal of this veil attains the perfection of the body like aṇima etc. and that of the senses like śravaṇa, manana and nididhyāsana^[10] Again Sadasivendra Saraswati speaks that the performance of duties of tapas destroys the kleśas and pāpas. Then the body gains the siddhis like aṇima etc. and the senses acquire the subtle qualities^[11].

4) Svādhyāya (study and full aspiration):

The 4^th of the niyama is swādhyāya which mentions the need for a regular study or reading of religious books and scriptures. It is described in Yogasūtra as:

svādhyāyādiṣṭadevatāsaṃprayoga^[12]

Which, means that through svādhyāya comes the communion with the desired deity. Vyāsa says that Gods, Ṛṣis and siddhas gave daṛśan yogi even when they were engaged in their work^[13]. The inaudible muttering directed towards the meeting with the favourite deity is svādhyāya as explained in the Bhojavṛtti. The same thing is described in the Yogamaṇiprabha as the repetition of the sacred formulas leads to the conversation with the favourite deity. This direct vision of deities is possible only through the removal of miseries standing as obstacles to it.

5) Īśvarapraṇidhāna (dedication to god):

The last and the fifth niyama is Īśvarapraṇidhāna which results from the meditation and resignation to God. It is described in yoga as:

samādhisiddhirīśvarapraṇidhānāt^[14]

Which hints that the profound meditation upon Iśvara makes the success in spiritual absorption. According to Vyāsabhāṣya this spiritual absorption is possible to those who fully dedicate their existence to Iśvara and know everything beyond time, place and body get an intellective vision on everything in reality. Through such a devotion to Īśvara there develops the samādhi; and therefore, Īśvara is pleased for having removed the obstructive impediments (antarāya); and thus samādhi is drawn forth. Īśvarapraṇidhāna is the last among the niyamas, which leads to the accomplishment of samādhi.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Yogasūtra II.32

[2]:

Yoga Karnika of Nath Aghorananda,Intro.

[3]:

Yogasūtra-vyāsabhāṣya II.32

[4]:

Yogamaṇiprabha II. 32

[5]:

Yogasūtra-bhāva-gaṇeśavṛtti II 32

[6]:

Tattvavaiśāradī II.4.

[7]:

Yogasūtra 42.

[8]:

Yogasūtra-vyāsabhāṣya II.43

[9]:

Yogasūtra II. 43

[10]:

Yogasūtra-vyāsabhāṣya II.43.

[11]:

Yogasūtra K.II. 43

[12]:

Yogasūtra II

[13]:

Yogasūtra-vyāsabhāṣya II. 44

[14]:

Yogasūtra II. 45