tapasya

Tapasya, also transliterated tapasya, is a Sanskrit term for intense spiritual practice or austerity undertaken to purify the body and mind and to advance toward spiritual goals. The root tapas means heat or ardor, used figuratively to denote the inner heat generated by sustained effort and self-discipline.

In Hinduism and yoga, tapasya refers to a disciplined regimen that may include fasting, extended periods of meditation or vigil, breath control (pranayama), study of scriptures, and ethical conduct. It is viewed as a means of restraining the senses, purifying the mind, and cultivating detachment and steadfastness. In the Yoga tradition, tapas is one of the niyamas, or personal observances, and is associated with transforming the practitioner through persistent effort.

Similar notions of austere practice appear in other Indian traditions. In Jainism, tapasya denotes penance and ascetic practices undertaken to purify karmic impurities. In various Buddhist contexts, ascetic disciplines have historically been part of spiritual training. Across these traditions, tapasya is commonly described as a preparatory or enabling discipline for higher knowledge, spiritual realization, or liberation.

In modern usage, tapasya is often employed more broadly to denote perseverance, self-discipline, or devoted effort in education, work, and personal development. It remains a central concept in discussions of Indian asceticism and yoga philosophy.