Concept of Pancasila in Indian Thaought

Author(s): Kamla Jain
Publisher: P V Research Institute Varanasi

Page 37

The Concept of Pancasila in Indian Thought
It has been held
nence, and abstinence from avariciousness.1 by yoga thinkers that with the help of yamas, gross impurities of ordinary minds are removed; it thus constitutes the first stepping stone of spiritual progress. Non-injury is given such a high rank that it is regarded as the root of all other yamas, namely truth, non-stealing, etc. It is here that the chief principle of 'yajña' disappears with the gaining of strength of yamas, specially non-violence. The credit of this rooting out of yajñas, however, goes not only to Patanjali, but also to Samkhya2 and Bhāgavata cults; to Kapila, all such rites were impure. In fact, non-violence is held not to be only the root of other yamas but also the niyamas or observances of cleanliness (sauca), contentment (santosa), penance (tapa), study (svädhyāya) and devotion to Isvara (Isvara praṇidhāna). 3 The yamas and niyamas are closely connected. Both yamas and niyamas pertain to the social and outer life of the individual as well as the personal and inner life. Both of them furnish the positive and negative principles. The essence of the means of liberation rests on these yoganagas only and depicts the importance of the yoga practices as understood by Patanjali. The means for the removal of hindrances in the observance of yamas and niyamas is, therefore, the same as what is called the pratipakṣa bhāvanā or cultivation of the opposites. At the same time they also reveal that they reflect a good combination of the three margas of karma, jñāna and bhakti, and nothing seems to have been denounced. The outstanding feature is that the individualistic or personal salvation is held in prominence, when yoga is considered to be a
means.
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1. अहिंसासत्यमस्तेयं ब्रह्मचर्यपरिग्रहाः यमाः । — Pat. Yoga, 2.30. 2. दृष्टवदानुश्रविकः स ह्यविशुद्धिक्षयातिशययुक्तः
....
-Samkhya Kārikā, 2.
3. शौचसन्तोषतपः स्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः ।
-Pat. Yoga, 2.32.