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## The Nature of Asrava (Inflow)
**Chapter 4, Light 74-78 of the Yoga Shastra**
**Verse 74:** Auspicious and inauspicious karmas are attracted from all sides. Therefore, these (yogas) are called 'Asrava'.
**Explanation:** The embodied soul, through all its self-regions, receives auspicious and inauspicious karmas for mental contemplation. It also develops a sense of dependence. In this regard, the soul has to exert special effort, which is called manoyoga (mental yoga). It is for the five-sense being. The embodied soul, through verbal yoga, receives and releases karmas. The soul acquires the ability to act through this verbality. Through this verbal action, the soul gains the power of speech, which is called vachanayoga (verbal yoga). It is for the two-sense being. The meaning of 'kaya' (body) is the dwelling place of the soul. Through kaya yoga, the being experiences the results of its actions, which is called kayayoga (physical yoga). Through the combination of mind, speech, and body, the soul experiences yoga in the form of karma, just as fire turns bricks red. It is also said that 'viriya' (energy), 'sthama' (steadiness), 'utsaha' (enthusiasm), 'parakrama' (effort), 'cheshta' (activity), 'shakti' (power), and 'samartha' (ability) are all synonyms for yoga. This yoga is a helpful aid to the being, like a stick for a weak or old person. The transformation of karmas suitable for the mind into the self-region is manoyoga; the transformation of karmas suitable for speech into the form of verbality and eloquence is vachanayoga; and the transformation of karmas suitable for the body into the form of actions like walking is kayayoga. This yoga is of two types: auspicious and inauspicious. It gives rise to saataavedaniya (perceptible) and asaataavedaniya (imperceptible) karmas. Therefore, it is called asrava. That which causes the inflow of karmas into the soul is called asrava. That which causes the inflow of auspicious and inauspicious karmas is called yoga, because it leads to corresponding actions.
**Verse 75:** Therefore, with discernment, these are considered the causes of auspicious and inauspicious karmas. The mind, imbued with the four emotions of friendliness, joy, compassion, and equanimity, generates auspicious karmas. This leads to saataavedaniya, right faith, laughter, pleasure, knowledge of men, auspicious lifespan, auspicious name, and auspicious lineage. However, the same mind, when overwhelmed by passions like anger and sense objects, generates inauspicious karmas. This leads to asaataavedaniya and other such karmas.
**Verse 76:** For the generation of auspicious karmas, one should speak words that are in accordance with the twelve-limbed Ganipitaka, the form of scriptural knowledge. Conversely, for the generation of inauspicious karmas, one should know words that are contrary to scriptural knowledge.
**Verse 77:** The embodied being, with a body protected from vices and wrong actions, accumulates auspicious karmas. However, the same being, with a body that is constantly engaged in harmful actions or killing beings, accumulates inauspicious karmas.
**Explanation:** The activity of the body, protected from wrong tendencies, or the state of kayotsarga (body release), is kayayoga. Through such kayayoga, the being accumulates saataavedaniya and other auspicious (virtuous) karmas. However, the being with a body that is constantly engaged in harmful actions or killing beings accumulates asaataavedaniya and other inauspicious (sinful) karmas. The conclusion is that auspicious and inauspicious yogas give rise to auspicious and inauspicious karmas. This explanation does not contradict the cause-and-effect relationship. The statement, "auspicious yoga makes the body the cause of auspicious results," is mentioned here in passing. In the section on emotions, the cause of inauspicious results through inauspicious yoga should also be explained to generate detachment. Even without mentioning it, the accumulation of inauspicious causes is understood.
**Verse 78:** Passions, sense objects, yoga, carelessness, lack of restraint, false belief, suffering, and anger are the causes of inauspicious karmas.