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Avoidance of Intoxicants and Non-Possession
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the best use of wealth lies in renouncing it. The Bșhadāranyakal talks of renunciation of the desire of wealth, children and other worldly things.
In the Patañjala Yoga Sūtras aparigraha is the fifth among the five yamas. Aparigraha is usually translated as non-possession or non-attachment for possessions, specially in Jaina and Buddhist systems. But James Haughton Woods interprets 'aparigraha' of the Patañjala system as 'abstention from acceptance of gifts'. So far as Yoga Sūtras are concerned, this interpretation is more correct and it would be more favourable in the attempt to compare the two concepts of dāna(giving gifts) and aparigraha (non-possession and non-acceptance of gifts specially in the Pātaõjala Yoga sense). Here two interpretations of the term 'aparigraha' can be given-(1) non-possession which also includes giving gifts, and (2) non-possession meaning non-acceptance of gifts. These two versions of aparigraha may appear contradictory to each other, where the first commends giving gifts, the other condemns the acceptance of gifts. It is tried here to justify the two and show that they are not contradictory to each other as they appear to be. Further, the previous view still upheld that dāna and aparigraha are similar concept, though not identical.
Non-acceptance of gifts as aparigraha in Patañjala Sūtra means non-possession of or non-attachment for something which is not one's own. This moral principle is, therefore, a condemnation of the current evil of acceptance of gifts prevalent in the Brāhmaṇical system. Another underlying idea. is that the Pătañjala Sūtras seem to question the supremacy of the three cardinal virtues, that is yajña, dāna and svādhyāya, and eastablishes the supremacy of yoga; for the yogin acceptance of gifts would prove more of a hindrance than a help; for him the righteous action is the avoidance of acceptance of
1. वित्षणायाः पुत्रैषणायाः लोकैषणायाश्च व्युत्त्थायाथः भिक्षाचर्य चरन्ति ।
-Bșhad. 3.5.1.
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