Mahabharata — Ashvamedhika Parva, Shloka 22
Mind as Charioteer; Kṣetrajña, Tapas, and Dhyāna-Yoga
Adhyātma-Upadeśa
तमेव च यथाध्यानं रथेनेहाशुगामिना । गच्छत्यश्वप्रयुक्तेन तथा बुद्धिमतां गति:
tam eva ca yathādhyānaṁ rathenehāśugāminā | gacchaty aśvaprayuktena tathā buddhimatāṁ gatiḥ ||
Vāyu said: “Just as one reaches that very goal through focused contemplation, so too—here in this world—does one move swiftly in a chariot yoked with horses. In the same way, the course of the wise is to advance toward the intended end with disciplined, well-directed intelligence.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that wise progress is purposeful and disciplined: as meditation steadily reaches its object, so a well-yoked chariot swiftly reaches its destination. Intelligence, when properly directed, becomes a vehicle for attaining one’s rightful goal.
Vāyu-deva is speaking and uses an analogy: meditation is compared to a swift chariot drawn by horses. The point is to illustrate how the wise move toward their aim—through controlled, well-harnessed faculties and focused intent.