Who is complete in virtue, through self-discipline; having elevated the self with virtue, one’s virtue does not decay.

The Dhammapada closes its section on sīla with five identical verses. Virtue is the irreplaceable foundation of the brāhmaṇa.

In classical yoga, yama and niyama precede āsana and prāṇāyāma for the same reason: without ethics, spiritual practice corrupts.