Yogasūtra II.31 - jāti-deśa-kāla-samaya-anavacchinnāḥ sārva-bhaumāḥ mahā- vratam

When these [social restraints] are not restricted by birth/occupation, space, time or circumstances, this is [acknowledged as] the great vow.

Normally there are some exceptions where these social restraints do not have to be observed. For example, a spy has to lie, she cannot always tell the truth. A fisherman has to catch fish to support his family. In times of war, people may be drafted into the army to fight the enemy. In certain cultures a man is allowed to have more than one wife.

However, the social restraints still apply within these frameworks. For example, the spy musn’t lie to her own king, nor must the warrior fight when there is no war, or hurt helpless civilians. The man who has more than one wife must be honest and open about it to all of his wives.

When the commitment is total and someone is able to observe the Yama-s irrespective of any of these exceptional situations, then it is called the Mahāvratam, the great vow.

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