2.30 · The Five Restraints

The restraints are non-violence, truthfulness, not stealing, chastity and non-possessiveness.

Word by word

ahiṃsā

non-violence, not harming

satya

truthfulness

asteya

not stealing

brahmacarya

chastity; literally, conduct in brahman

aparigrahāḥ

non-possessiveness, not grasping

yamāḥ

restraints

Where it fits

The first limb starts at the outer edge, with conduct toward others. Vyāsa puts non-violence at the root: the other restraints and observances are rooted in it and taught to make it spotless (Woods p. 178). His comment also binds truthfulness to the good of all beings. 2.31 says how far the restraints must reach.

Reading

The first limb is how you live with others: not harming, not lying, not taking what isn't given, chastity, and not grasping. Vyāsa defines brahmacarya as control of the sexual organ; teachers today differ on whether that asks for celibacy or for moderation and faithfulness. Non-harming comes first, and the commentary treats all the other restraints and observances as rooted in it and serving it, kept so that non-harming grows purer.

Vyāsa

“Of these, non-violence means bearing no ill will toward any living being, in any way, at any time. The other restraints and observances are rooted in it. … So one should weigh one's words first, and speak the truth that is good for all beings.”

Vyāsa's Yoga-bhāṣya, the oldest commentary. New translation from the Sanskrit, with reference to Woods (1914), p. 178.

Practice

Choose one restraint for today and keep it with full attention. Tonight, note each moment it was tested and what you did.

A question to sit with

Which restraint is being tested in you now?

Where commentators disagree

Is truthfulness simply saying what is so, or must true speech also do no harm?

Vyāsa

Truthful speech matches what was seen, inferred or heard and passes one's knowledge on without deceit or error. But it must serve all beings: speech that ruins creatures is not truthfulness, only a resemblance of merit. So the yogin should first consider what is good for all creatures, and then speak. (Woods 1914, p. 178)

Vācaspati Miśra

Gives two cases. Yudhiṣṭhira's 'Aśvatthāman is slain', said with the elephant of that name in mind, was deceit, because it did not pass on what he knew. An ascetic who told robbers which way the rich merchant had gone kept only a false kind of truthfulness, because his words did harm. (Woods 1914, pp. 179–180)

Bhoja

Defines truthfulness simply as the agreement of speech and mind with fact. He does not repeat Vyāsa's condition about harm. (Tatya 1885, pp. 74–75; Mitra 1883, wisdomlib on 2.30)

J. H. Woods

Draws out the principle behind Vyāsa's words: speech that harms no one and does some good, even if untrue, would seem to count as true. He compares Manu. (Woods 1914, p. 178, n. 5)

Key ideas

aṣṭāṅga (the eight limbs)