In plain words
Among such moralities too: personal morality, national morality. This same morality they have also held to be character. So the Veda commanded that man should develop personal character and national character. In both of these too, it also taught the path by which humanness should move. The Veda also taught the activities fit for man to seek the true path in daily life. But the man of today takes this vast principle of the Veda in some narrow sense, and falls into the false notion that it is something used only by a few brāhmaṇas, only for some yajñas, yāgas and such rites, and things of that kind. The Veda has been teaching in so many kinds of ways how to develop the strength of humanness. So we must try to understand the principle of humanness.
All these śāstras have taught the paths of yama, niyama and the rest, and through them have been telling man to develop humanness as well. It is enough if we master the one yama. We shall be those who have mastered Yama. What does yama mean? Ahiṃsā, Satya, asteya, brahmacarya, aparigraha. If we master these five, we can live with these very five as our five prāṇas. These five alone are the true marks of humanness. Without these five, there is only the man, but no humanness. So, among the qualities of humanness, these five are the chief.
Ahiṃsā is the first. What does Ahiṃsā mean? That you must not harm another body or another living being with the body. Not with the body alone. With words too you must not wound others. Not with words alone. With thought too you must not cause others pain. The Veda made Ahiṃsā that is pure in thought, word and deed the true Ahiṃsā. The Veda taught that you must not do acts that hurt others, whether in word, in mind or in deed. It must be pure in all three; merely not harming in some ways or other cannot be Ahiṃsā. Feelings that hurt and wound others must not arise in us. Nor must we speak words that wound others. Nor must we do deeds that hurt others. This is the right meaning.
Next, Satya. Satya does not mean merely telling what one saw as one saw it, what one heard as one heard it, what one thought as one thought it, what one did as one did it. For the time being, this takes the shape of Satya. Satya means trikālabādhyaṃ satyaṃ. What does not change in the three times, that alone is Satya. This Satya too must keep to certain rules.