# SB 3.28.4 > अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेयं यावदर्थपरिग्रहः । > ब्रह्मचर्यं तपः शौचं स्वाध्यायः पुरुषार्चनम् ॥४॥ ## Text > ahiṁsā satyam asteyaṁ > yāvad-artha-parigrahaḥ > brahmacaryaṁ tapaḥ śaucaṁ > svādhyāyaḥ puruṣārcanam ## Synonyms *ahiṁsā*—nonviolence; *satyam*—truthfulness; *asteyam*—refraining from theft; *yāvat-artha*—as much as necessary; *parigrahaḥ*—possessing; *brahmacaryam*—celibacy; *tapaḥ*—austerity; *śaucam*—cleanliness; *sva-adhyāyaḥ*—study of the *Vedas*; *puruṣa-arcanam*—worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. ## Translation **One should practice nonviolence and truthfulness, should avoid thieving and be satisfied with possessing as much as he needs for his maintenance. He should abstain from sex life, perform austerity, be clean, study the Vedas and worship the supreme form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.** ## Purport The word *puruṣārcanam* in this verse means worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, especially the form of Lord Kṛṣṇa. In *Bhagavad-gītā* it is confirmed by Arjuna that Kṛṣṇa is the original *puruṣa,* or Personality of Godhead, *puruṣaṁ śāśvatam.* Therefore in *yoga* practice one not only must concentrate his mind on the person of Kṛṣṇa, but must also worship the form or Deity of Kṛṣṇa daily. A *brahmacārī* practices celibacy, controlling his sex life. One cannot enjoy unrestricted sex life and practice *yoga;* this is rascaldom. So-called *yogīs* advertise that one can go on enjoying as one likes and simultaneously become a *yogī,* but this is totally unauthorized. It is very clearly explained here that one must observe celibacy. *Brahmacaryam* means that one leads his life simply in relationship with Brahman, or in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Those who are too addicted to sex life cannot observe the regulations which will lead them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sex life should be restricted to persons who are married. A person whose sex life is restricted in marriage is also called a *brahmacārī.* The word *asteyam* is also very important for a *yogī. Asteyam* means "to refrain from theft." In the broader sense, everyone who accumulates more than he needs is a thief. According to spiritual communism, one cannot possess more than he needs for his personal maintenance. That is the law of nature. Anyone who accumulates more money or more possessions than he needs is called a thief, and one who simply accumulates wealth without spending for sacrifice or for worship of the Personality of Godhead is a great thief. *Svādhyāyaḥ* means "reading the authorized Vedic scriptures." Even if one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious and is practicing the *yoga* system, he must read standard Vedic literatures in order to understand. Performance of *yoga* alone is not sufficient. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a great devotee and *ācārya* in the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya, says that all spiritual activities should be understood from three sources, namely saintly persons, standard scriptures and the spiritual master. These three guides are very important for progress in spiritual life. The spiritual master prescribes standard literature for the prosecution of the *yoga* of devotional service, and he himself speaks only from scriptural reference. Therefore reading standard scriptures is necessary for executing *yoga.* Practicing *yoga* without reading the standard literatures is simply a waste of time.