[b]II, 32 sauca santosha tapah svadhayaya isvarah-pranidani niyamah
The precepts also
consist of five principles:
purity,
contentment,
self-discipline and purification,
self-study,
and devotion
to the Lord of Yoga. [/b]
M. Stiles
Iyengar suggests that these five principles correspond with the ?5 sheaths of man and the elements of nature: the anatomical (earth), physiological (water), psychological (fire), intellectural (air) and spiritual (ether) layers.? (p. 136)
Sauca is purity or cleanliness ? ?Both (external and internal purification) are necessary. Observance of niyama develops friendliness, compassion and indifference and is a further aid in cleansing the body, mind and intelligence.? (p.137)
Svadhyaya is self-study ? it is ?checking oneself to see if the principles of yoga are being followed. In order to follow these principles, one has first to decide whether one?s own pattern of behaviour is aligned with them or not. If not, one has to prepare one?s thoughts and actions in accordance with them and remove those faults which hinder one?s sadhana.? (p. 137) As discussed in sutra II, 1, it is the practice of developing self-awareness and of delving and understanding spiritual texts.
Santosha is contentment.
Tapas is self-discipline or purification. As discussed in sutra II,1, it is the self-discipline of body, senses and mind. It is also the acceptance that all suffering, struggles and hardships is how one becomes purified.
Isvara pranidhana is devotion and surrender to the Lord (Spirit, the Divine, a Higher Power, Love).
Swami Satchidananda likens the five principles of yama and niyama to the 10 commandments ? ?The five points of yama, together with the five points of niyama, remind us of the ten commandments of the Christian and Jewish faiths, as well of the ten virtues of Buddhism. In fact there is no religion without these moral or ethical codes. All spiritual life should be based on these things. They are the foundation stones without which we can never build anything lasting.? (p127)
Iyengar, B.K.S., Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. New Delhi, India: Harper Collins Publications India. 1993
Swami Satchidananda, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Buckingham, VA: Integral Yoga Publications. 2004
Swami Shyam, Patanjali Yog Darshan, India: International Meditation Institute, 2001, 3rd. edition
Stiles, M., Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Boston, MA: Red Wheel/Weiser LLC. 2002