Shloka 7
Vānaprastha-vṛtti and the Transition toward the Fourth Āśrama (वानप्रस्थवृत्तिः चतुर्थाश्रमोपक्रमश्च)
यदि वा पुरुषव्याप्रो यदि वा क्लेशधारित: । तरत्येवं महादुर्ग जरामरणसागरम्
yadi vā puruṣavyāpro yadi vā kleśadhāritaḥ | taraty evaṁ mahādurgaṁ jarāmaraṇasāgaram ||
Vyāsa said: Whether a person is vigorously engaged in worldly striving or is merely sustaining life amid hardships, if he truly realizes—through direct knowledge—the twelve yogic disciplines taught here, he crosses the exceedingly difficult ocean of old age and death. The teaching emphasizes that liberation is not restricted by social status, learning, ritual accomplishment, or even one’s prior conduct; decisive is the authentic realization of yoga-knowledge that leads beyond mortality.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Liberation is achieved by direct realization of the yogic disciplines (here summarized as ‘twelve yogas’), not by external markers such as social identity, ritual status, or even one’s previous life-condition; true knowledge of yoga enables one to cross the ocean of old age and death.
Vyāsa is instructing the listener in the Śānti Parva’s mokṣa-oriented discourse, stressing the universality of the path: regardless of whether one is actively engaged in life or enduring hardship, realization of the taught yogic knowledge leads beyond mortality.