Category:Niyamagraha
Theme Analysis
The philosophical essence of this category defines the concept of niyamāgraha, which is a significant impediment on the path of devotional service. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the word has a twofold meaning depending on how it is divided: niyama means rules and regulations, while āgraha means excessive eagerness, and agraha means failure to accept. Thus, niyamāgraha refers to either blindly following rules without understanding their spiritual purpose, or recklessly neglecting the rules meant for spiritual advancement. A progressive devotee avoids both extremes. They do not follow regulations superficially just to make a show, nor do they reject necessary principles to live extravagantly. Furthermore, a genuine ācārya adjusts the application of rules according to time, place, and candidate, avoiding the conservatism of niyamāgraha that insists on impossible or irrelevant details while missing the essence of spiritual life.
- The Twofold Meaning: The term combines niyama (rules) with either āgraha (eagerness) or agraha (failure to accept), encompassing both the fanatic adherence to rules and the complete neglect of them.
- Following Blindly: Sticking to routines and rituals without evaluating one's actual spiritual progress is a waste of time. It reduces spiritual life to a mechanical, conservative practice.
- Superficiality: Pretending to be a strict follower of regulations while internally maintaining material desires or living extravagantly is a showy, ineffective approach to devotional service.
- Adaptation and Context: True adherence to niyama means capturing the essence of the rule. An ācārya expertly adjusts details based on time and geography to avoid the pitfall of impossible or meaningless imitation.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Niyamāgraha - The Twofold Impediment to Devotional Service.
Pages in category "Niyamagraha"
The following 17 pages are in this category, out of 17 total.
A
- A devotee does not indulge in unnecessary talks of politics or economics. Nor is a devotee very strict in following ritualistic rules and regulations mentioned in the Vedas. Becoming enamored of these rituals is the next impediment, called niyamagraha
- Accepting some of the scriptural rules & regulations for immediate benefit, as utilitarians advocate, is called niyama-agraha, and neglecting the rules and regulations of the sastras, which are meant for spiritual development, is called niyama-agraha
I
- If one is simply sticking up to the system without seeing "How much progress I am making in my life?" then that is waste of time. That is called niyamagraha, simply observing the rules
- It is not necessary that the rules and regulations followed in India be exactly the same as those in Europe, America and other Western countries. Simply imitating without effect is called niyamagraha
N
- Niyamagraha, simply observing the rules. And niyamagraha also means that you should not neglect also the rules. You should not neglect the rules and regulation; at the same time you should not stick up to the rules and regulation
- Niyamagrahah means niyama, scheduled rules and regulation, not to accept. Niyama agraha or niyama agraha. Agraha means unnecessarily agraha, but without any result. That is called niyamagrahah
- Niyamagrahah means simply busy to follow the rules, but actually do not understand what is the meaning of such following. Not blindly. One should follow the regulative principles with firm conviction and understanding
- Niyamagrahah means the positive rules and regulation, simply make a show but not actually realize it. Niyamagrahah, laulyam, and to become very greedy, and jana-sangas ca, and mixing with persons who are not devotee
- Not following the regulative principles but instead living extravagantly is also called niyamagraha. The word niyama means “regulative principles,” and agraha means “eagerness”
T
- The practice of mysticism or yoga, known as astanga-yoga, which is divisible into an eightfold procedure called yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. BG 1972 purports
- The teacher (acarya) has to consider time, candidate and country. He must avoid the principle of niyamagraha - that is, he should not try to perform the impossible. What is possible in one country may not be possible in another
- The word agraha means "eagerness to accept," and agraha means "failure to accept." By the addition of either of these two words to the word niyama ("rules and regulations"), the word niyamagraha is formed
- Thus niyamagraha has a twofold meaning that is understood according to the particular combination of words