Shloka 20
एष योगविधि: कृत्स्नो यावदिन्द्रियधारणम् । एतन्मूलं हि तपस: कृत्स्नस्य नरकस्य च
eṣa yogavidhiḥ kṛtsno yāvad indriyadhāraṇam | etanmūlaṃ hi tapasaḥ kṛtsnasya narakasya ca ||
قال الصيّاد: «هذه هي طريقةُ اليوغا كاملةً: كبحُ الحواسّ وإمساكُها إمساكًا ثابتًا. فهذه الرياضةُ هي أصلُ كلِّ تقشّف؛ وهي أيضًا أصلُ السقوطِ كلِّه إلى النار إذا أُهمِلَت.»
व्याध उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the essence of yoga and the foundation of true tapas is indriya-dhāraṇa—firm restraint of the senses. The same domain is ethically decisive: mastery supports spiritual progress, while lack of restraint becomes a root-cause for downfall and suffering (symbolized as naraka).
In the Vana Parva’s dialogue where the vyādha instructs a seeker on dharma and right conduct, he summarizes practical spirituality: yoga is not merely ritual or theory but lived discipline, centered on controlling the senses, which determines whether one’s life tends toward purification or ruin.