Shaucha

Shaucha (Sanskrit: शौच, romanized: Śauca) literally means purity, cleanliness, and clearness.^[1] It refers to purity of mind, speech and body.^[2] Shaucha is one of the niyamas of Yoga.^[3] It is discussed in many ancient Indian texts such as the Mahabharata and Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. It is a virtue in Hinduism and Jainism.^[4] In Hinduism purity is a part of worship and an important quality for salvation. Purity is a mind pure and free of evil thoughts and behaviors.^[5]

Shaucha includes outer purity of body as well as inner purity of mind.^[6] It is synonymous with shuddhi (शुद्धि).^[7] LePage^{[clarification needed]} states that shaucha in yoga is on many levels, and deepens as an understanding and evolution of self increases.^[8]

In yogic practice, shaucha is considered essential for health, happiness, and general well-being. External purity is achieved through daily ablutions, while internal purity is cultivated through physical exercises, including asana (postures) and pranayama (breathing techniques). Along with daily ablutions to cleanse one's body, shaucha suggests clean surroundings, along with fresh and clean food to purify the body.^[9] Lack of shaucha might be the result, for example, of letting toxins build up in the body.^[10]

Shaucha includes purity of speech and mind. Anger, hate, prejudice, greed, lust, pride, fear, and negative thoughts are sources of impurity of mind.^[10][11] Impurities of the intellect can be cleansed through the process of self-examination, or knowledge of self (Adhyatma-Vidya).^[12] The mind is purified through mindfulness and meditation on one's intent, feelings, actions, and its^[ambiguous] causes.^[13]

Teachers of the Vedanta path of yoga prepare to have holy thoughts and to perform holy actions. Students and the young help teachers prepare for worship, building^[ambiguous] self-control and selflessness.^[14] Sarada Devi said "pure mind begets ecstatic love (prema-bhakti)".^{[15][better source needed]}

Literature

Shaucha is included as one of five niyamas in Yoga, that is activity that is recommended for spiritual development of an individual. Verse II.32 of Yogasutra lists the five niyamas.^[16] In verse II.40, Patanjali describes outer purity, while verse II.41 discusses inner purity,^[3] as follows:

सत्त्वशुद्धिसौमनस्यैकाग्र्येन्द्रियजयात्मदर्शन योग्यत्वानि च	Through cleanliness and purity of body and mind (shaucha, shudhi) comes a purification of the essence (sattva), a goodness and gladness of feeling, a sense of focus with intentness, the mastery and union of the senses, and a fitness, preparation and capability for self-realization.
—Patanjali Yogasutras[17][3]: II.41

Shaucha is one of the ten yamas (virtuous restraints) listed by Śāṇḍilya Upanishad,^[18] as well as by Svātmārāma.^[19]

The Epic Mahabharata mentions the virtue of purity (shaucha) in numerous books. For example, in Book 14 Chapter 38, it lists shaucha as a quality found in the liberated, happy, and dharmic person,

निर्ममॊ निरहंकारॊ निराशीः सर्वतः समः । अकाम हत इत्य एष सतां धर्मः सनातनः ॥ विश्रम्भॊ हरीस तितिक्षा च तयागः शौचम अतन्द्रिता । आनृशंस्यम असंमॊहॊ दया भूतेष्व अपैशुनम ॥ हर्षस तुष्टिर विस्मयश च विनयः साधुवृत्तता । शान्ति कर्म विशुद्धिश च शुभा बुद्धिर विमॊचनम ॥ उपेक्षा बरह्मचर्यं च परित्यागश च सर्वशः । निर्ममत्वम अनाशीस्त्वम अपरिक्रीत धर्मता ॥

(He is) free from possessiveness, free from egoism, free from pessimism, looks on all with an equal eye, free from craving. (In him) is seen confidence, endurance, renunciation, purity, absence of laziness, absence of cruelty, absence of delusion, compassion for all creatures, absence of the disposition to slander others or to exult at gains; (he is) satisfied, humble, emancipated, indifferent, peaceful, unaffected by ups and downs, pursuer of Brahma, and exhibits purity in all acts aiming for tranquillity, understanding and the right.

—Ashvamedhika Parva, The Mahabharata, 14.38.5–8[20]

Bhagavad Gita describes purity at three levels in Book 17, verses 14–16, namely body, speech and thoughts.^[21] Purity of body comes from cleanliness of body as well as from what one eats and drinks. Purity of speech comes from being truthful and through use of words that are not injurious, hurtful, or distressing to others or self. Purity of thoughts comes from reflection, peace of mind, silence, calmness, gentleness, and purity of being.^[21]

Purity of mind, speech, and body has been one of the important virtues in Indian philosophy.^[22]

See also

• Ahiṃsā – Ancient Indian principle of nonviolencePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Akrodha – Important virtue in Indian philosophy and Hindu ethics
• Ārjava – Hindu philosophical conceptPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Asteya – Non-stealing, a virtue in Indian religionsPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Brahmacharya – Motivated abstinence from worldly pleasures
• Dāna (charity) – Concept of charity in Indian religions
• Dayā (compassion) – Moved or motivated to help others
• Dhṛti – Yama (ethical rule) in Hinduism
• Dhyana in Hinduism – Training of the mind through meditation in Hinduism
• Kṣamā (forgiveness) – Renunciation or cessation of resentment, indignation, or anger
• Mitahara – Concept in Indian philosophy
• Sattva – Hindu philosophical concept
• Satya – Sanskrit word and a virtue in Indian religions

References

1. "zauca". Sanskrit English Dictionary. Koeln University, Germany. Archived from the original on 2014-12-27.
2. Sharma; Sharma (2001). Indian Political Thought. Atlantic Publishers. p. 19. ISBN 978-8171566785.
3. Patañjali (1914). "Book 2, Means of attainment (sādhana)". The yoga-system of Patañjali; or, The ancient Hindu doctrine of concentration of mind. Translated by Woods, James Haughton. Harvard University Press. pp. 181–182. ISBN 978-0-486-43200-7.
4. • Reinsch, Paul S. (1911). "Energism in the Orient". International Journal of Ethics. 21 (4): 407–422. doi:10.1086/intejethi.21.4.2376566. S2CID 144966077.
   • Taber, John (1991). "India and Europe: An Essay in Understanding by Wilhelm Halbfass". Philosophy East and West. 41 (2): 229–240. doi:10.2307/1399772. JSTOR 1399772.
5. "Purity of Intellect". Hindupedia. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
6. • Markil; Geithner; Penhollow (2010). "Hatha Yoga: Benefits and principles for a more meaningful practice". ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal. 14 (5): 19–24. doi:10.1249/FIT.0b013e3181ed5af2. S2CID 78930751.
   • Bhatta, C. P. (2009). "Holistic Personality Development through Education—Ancient Indian Cultural Experiences". Journal of Human Values. 15 (1): 49–59. doi:10.1177/097168580901500104. S2CID 145692374.
   • Seetharam, Sridevi (2013). "Dharma and medical ethics". Indian Journal of Medical Ethics. 10 (4): 226–231. PMID 24152344.
7. "zuddhi". Sanskrit English Dictionary. Koeln University, Germany. Archived from the original on 2014-12-27.
8. LePage, J. (1995). "Patanjali's Yoga Sutras as a Model for Psycho-Spiritual Evolution". International Journal of Yoga Therapy. 6 (1): 23–26. doi:10.17761/ijyt.6.1.d3j5663g6127rp0j.
9. • Brown, Christina (2003). The Yoga Bible. Penguin Publishing. pp. 14–17. ISBN 978-1582972428.
   • Birch, Beryl (2010). Beyond Power Yoga: 8 Levels of Practice for Body and Soul. Simon & Schuster. pp. 78–79. ISBN 978-0684855264.
10. Raghupathi, K. V. (2007). Yoga for Peace. Abhinav Publications. pp. 60–61. ISBN 978-8170174837.
11. Kadetsky, Elizabeth (2008). "Modeling School". The Antioch Review. 66 (2): 254–268.
12. Aiyar, K.N. (July–September 2007). "Hinduism's Restraints and Observances] Hinduism Today". Hinduism Today.
13. Lasater, Judith Hanson (28 August 2007). "Cultivate your connections". Yoga Journal.
14. Sarada, Annapurna (21 February 2009). "Sowing Seeds for an Age of Light". Nectar. No. 24. Sarada Ramakrishna Vivekananda Associations; SRV associations. pp. 54–55.
15. Vedanta Society of New York. "Sayings of Holy Mother Sarada Devi". vedantany.org. Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
16. • Original Sanskrit: शौच संतोष तपः स्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः Translation: saucha (purity), santosha (contentment), tapah (meditation), svādhyāya (continuous learning), and isvarapranidhana (contemplation of one's origins, God, Self) are the niyamas
    • Desmarais, Michele (2008). Changing Minds: Mind, Consciousness And Identity In Patanjali's Yoga-Sutra. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 125–134. ISBN 978-8120833364.
17. "Patanjali Yogasutra". Sanskrit Documents. II.41.
18. "Sandilya-Upanishad of Atharvanaveda". Thirty Minor Upanishads. Translated by Aiyar, K. Narayanasvami. Madras. 1914. pp. 173–176.
19. • Svātmārāma; Pancham Sinh (1997). The Hatha Yoga Pradipika (5 ed.). Forgotten Books. p. 14. ISBN 9781605066370. अथ यम-नियमाः
      अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेयं बरह्यछर्यम कश्हमा धृतिः
      दयार्जवं मिताहारः शौछम छैव यमा दश
    • Lorenzen, David (1972). The Kāpālikas and Kālāmukhas. University of California Press. pp. 186–190. ISBN 978-0520018426.
    • Subramuniya (2003). Merging with Śiva: Hinduism's contemporary metaphysics. Himalayan Academy Publications. p. 155. ISBN 9780945497998.
20. • "The Mahabharata in Sanskrit: Book 14, Chapter 38".
    • The Mahabharata: Açwamedha Parva. Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli. Calcutta: Pratap Chandra Roy, Bharata Press. 1894. p. 94.
21. Flood, Gavin (2005). The Ascetic Self: Subjectivity, Memory and Tradition. Cambridge University Press. pp. 77–93. ISBN 978-0521604017.
22. Radhakrishnan, S. (1922). "The Hindu Dharma". International Journal of Ethics. 33 (1): 1–22. doi:10.1086/intejethi.33.1.2377174. S2CID 144844920.