Sensory Restraint
Dama ('restraint,' 'control') is the second of the ṣaṭ-sampat. Where śama controls the internal mind, dama controls the external senses — the eyes, ears, tongue, skin, and nose. Without dama, the senses perpetually draw the mind outward toward their objects, making sustained inner attention (and thus meditation) impossible.
Dama vs. Śama
The pair śama and dama is complementary: śama pacifies the antaḥkaraṇa (inner instrument), while dama restrains the bahiḥkaraṇa (outer instruments — the senses). Both must work together: controlling the senses without calming the mind merely creates repressed desire; calming the mind while leaving the senses unchecked allows constant leakage of attention outward.
Not Sensory Annihilation
Dama does not mean destroying sensory experience or becoming numb to the world. Rather, it is the capacity to choose one's sensory engagement — not to be automatically pulled by every attractive sound, sight, or taste, but to remain in a position of inner agency. The devotee with dama can engage fully with the world when appropriate and withdraw fully when required.
Dama in Bhakti Life
For the Sri Vaishnava, dama is expressed in specific practices: not watching or listening to content that disturbs the devotional focus; observing moderation in food and sensory pleasure; channeling sensory engagement toward the Lord's worship (offering flowers — the sense of touch; singing pasurams — the sense of hearing; seeing the deity — the sense of sight). In this way, dama is not renunciation of the senses but their redirection.