Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam (Study)

by Sadhu Gyanananddas | 2021 | 123,778 words

This page relates ‘Significance of Niyamas’ of the study on the Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam in Light of Swaminarayan Vachanamrut (Vacanamrita). His 18th-century teachings belong to Vedanta philosophy and were compiled as the Vacanamrita, revolving around the five ontological entities of Jiva, Ishvara, Maya, Aksharabrahman, and Parabrahman. Roughly 200 years later, Bhadreshdas composed a commentary (Bhasya) correlating the principles of Vachanamrut.

8.1. Significance of Niyamas

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Niyamas are mostly known as dharma. To attain ultimate liberation, an aspirant has to follow the codes of conduct of the Satsaṅga fellowship. They are included in the devotees’ daily behavior. Niyamas are essential for making our daily deeds or actions pious and pure that is called sadācāra. Actually, sadācāra is asserted in the scriptures by ṛṣis. Sadācāra is called dharma as well. Even bhakti without dharma is unacceptable in the tradition. For a spiritual aspirant, observance of dharma is very important in order to attain liberation.^[1] However, niyamas are concerned with bāhya āchār (external behavior). They help us to lift our personal pious behavior (sadācāra), consequently dharma becomes firm. Generally, niyamas and dharma are connected to each other. Collectively, they are called ‘niyamdharma’ in a pragmatic way.

Since the Svāminārāyaṇa Sampradāya is known as a śuddha sampradāya^[2] (pure fellowship) because of its pious codes in every aspect of life. Svāminārāyaṇa states the importance of niyamas in the Vacanāmṛta:

“Whether or not one has vairāgya, if one diligently observes the niyamas prescribed by Parabrahman, then the desires for the pañcaviṣayas can be conquered.” (Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā II/16, p.429)

Niyamas are related to indriyas and their respective subject of pleasures. In order to satisfy one’s physical or mental urge, one engrosses in the pañcaviṣayas. So, if there are no rules and regulations or codes of conduct regulating the indulgence of viṣayas, then the jīva falls from the path of liberation and suffers miseries in its own daily life as well.

That is why Svāminārāyaṇa states:

“Keep the behaviors of your five senses (indriyas) extremely pure.” (Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā I/18, p.57).

Svāminārāyaṇa strongly opposes those who believe that knowledge is everything to achieve a spiritual goal and it is ok if there is a lapse in observing niyamas:

“From today onwards, then, whosoever abandons dharma–in the form of the five religious and sāmpradāyika vows–solely advocating the potency of bhakti or jnāna, is a blasphemer of the Guru and Guru’s word.” (Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā I/77, p.191)

Svāminārāyaṇa likes those who are firm in observing the non-lust vow:

“In fact, the very cause that I have resided here is because of these devotees’ firm resolve to observe the vow of non-lust.” (Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā II/33, p.465)

The ancient scriptures also advocate the glory of norms and regulations of the religion, which was the way of life.

The Taittiriya-upaniṣad reveals:

vedamanūcyācāryontevāsinamanuśāsti |
satyaṃ vada | dharmaṃ cara | svādhyāyānmā pramadaḥ |
ācāryāya priyaṃ dhanamāhṛtya prajātantuṃ mā vyavacchetsīḥ |
satyanna pramaditavyam | dharmānna pramaditavyam |
kuśalānna pramaditavyam | bhūtyai na pramaditavyam |
svādhyāyapravacanābhyāṃ na pramaditavyam ||^[3]

“After teaching the Vedas, in the end, the teacher instructs the pupil. Speak the truth. Accomplish your duty. Do not abandon the self-study of the Vedas. After giving the gift desired by the teacher, do not break the chain of your progeny. Do not abandon truth. Do not abandon duty. Do not abandon your health. Do not abandon your material wellbeing. Do not abandon the self-study and the teaching of the Vedas.”

devapitṛkāryābhyāṃ na pramaditavyam | mātṛdevo bhava |
pitṛdevo bhava | ācāryadevo bhava | atithidevo bhava |
yānyanavadyāni karmāṇi | tāni sevitavyāni | no itarāṇi |
yānyasmākaṃ sucaritāni | tāni tvayopāsyāni ||^[4]

“Do not neglect your duties to deities and ancestors. May your mother be honored as a deity by you; may your father be honored as a deity by you; may your teacher be honored as a deity by you; may your guest be honored as a Parabrahman by you. Whatever actions are free from vanity, they should be practiced, not others. Whatever good behavior you find among us (teachers), that alone should be practiced, not others.”

Bhadreśadāsa comments:

“kurvanneveha karmāṇi jijīviṣecchataṃ samāḥ ityadivadatrāpi āvaśyakakartavyāni karmāṇi upadiśyante... brahmasvarūpagurūpadiṣṭaśrutismṛti pratipāditasadācāraṃ paripālaya |(Taittiriya-upaniṣad 1/11/1, pp.353-354)

“Īśopaniṣad declares, one should indulge in the karmas and live for hundred years in this world. In the same way, the Taittiriya-upaniṣad sings the glory of the daily behavior of a disciple. (so) Follow the rules and regulation asserted by the scriptures and preached by the Brahmasvarūpa Guru.”