२१ यमप्रामुख्यम्

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)

प्रतिषेधरूपा यमा “ब्राह्मणो न हन्तव्यः” “सुरा न पेया” इत्यादयः । अनुष्ठेयरूपा नियमाः “वेदम् एव जपेन् नित्यम्” (म्ध् ४.१४७) इत्यादयः । न नित्यं नियमान् । नानेन नियमानाम् असेवोच्यते, किं तु यमानां नियमेभ्यो नित्यत्वम् । तथा चाह- यमान् पतत्य् अकुर्वाणः । ब्रह्महत्यादिर् यमलोपे सति । पतितत्वात् संध्योपासनादिभिर्¹ नाधिक्रियते । न तु तथा नियमलोपे । तथा च शिष्टस्मरणम्-

• पतति नियमावान् यमेष्व् असक्तो न तु यमवान् नियमालसो ऽवसीदेत् ।

• न नियमान् असमीक्ष्य बुद्ध्या यमबहुलेष्व् अतिसंदधीत बुद्धिम् ॥ इति

येषाम् अपि पारिभाषिका यमनियमाः ।

• अहिंसा सत्यवचनं ब्रह्मचर्यम् अकल्कता ।

• अस्तेयम् अपि पञ्चैते यमाश् चैव व्रतानि च ॥

• अक्रोधो गुरुशुश्रूषा शौचम् आचरलाघवम्² ।

• अप्रमादश् च नियमाः पञ्चैवोपव्रतानि च ॥

तेषाम् अपि गुरुलाघवम् अनेन श्लोकेन प्रतिपाद्यते । अतो नानेन यमानां सेवोच्यते, नापि नियमानाम् असेवा, उभयेषां तैः शास्त्रैर् विहितत्वात् ॥ ४.२०४ ॥

पूर्वेण श्लोकेन व्रताधिकारो विच्छिन्नः । इदानीं प्रतिषेधप्रकरणम् आरभ्यते ।

‘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)

‘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).

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.]

204 A wise man should constantly discharge the paramount duties (called yama), but not always the minor ones (called niyama); for he who does not discharge the former, while he obeys the latter alone, becomes an outcast.