सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिन: सर्वे सन्तु निरामया:। सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु। मा कश्चित् दु:खभाग भवेत् ।। |
Happiness be unto all. Perfect health be unto all. May all see what is good. May all be free from suffering. |
iii - Austerity, Spiritual discipline; (Tapa) |
Austerity is third Niyama . It has been defined in yoga philosophy as power to stand thirst and hunger, cold and heat, discomfort of place and posture, silence and fasts on Ekadashi, Amavasya, Purnima, etc. Medal, verbal and bodily austerity makes a man perfect. makes a man perfect. Mental Austerity (Baudhika Tapa) two current of thought, good and bad, run constantly in human mind. mental austerity means suppression of the current of anger and evil desire. The tendencies of greed, attachment, conceit, etc distract the mind. Insult, loss and impeachment disturb the mental balance. violence, falsehood and misappropriation, which militate against the yamas and niyamas, continue to disturb us. all this wicked propensities must be subdued. mind must be trained to keep the sense-organ check. the sense organ must be withdrawn from the enjoyment of their objects. Austerity of Speech (Vachika Tapa) Many sins are committed by speech. To desist them is austerity of speech. include avoidance of false,harsh,bitter and carping words in a fit of anger. One should not enter into discussion and speaking words which may injure the feeling of other or lead to killing of someone, and one should be silent when reprimanded by the teacher. Tongue should be kept under control, words should be uttered after weighting them and useless talk should not indulged in. Only meaningful and necessary words should be spoken. Physical Austerity ( Sharirika tapa ) A person practising bodily austerity should be able to bear hunger & thirst , cold & heat etc. The Gita says that physical austerity is to pay true respect & render service to teachers, scholars, elders & great persons & practise celibacy & non-violence. it is well known that without under going physical hardship it is not possible to obtain even worldly happiness beyond or of the realisation of the highest self. iIt is said that Indra practised Brahmacharya & austerities continuously for 104 years and then alone was he able to acquire the knowledge of Brahma. Wise of all casts and creeds and Sanyasis should be revered. They give healthy advice and impart knowledge of various subjects and help us in solving various problems. The hardships borne in observing Brahmacharya and non-violence and other great vows contribute to the highest knowledge. |