Shloka 19
Saṃhāra-krama (The Sequence of Cosmic Dissolution) — Yājñavalkya’s Discourse
शत्रुदमन! जैसे निर्बल पक्षी सूक्ष्म जालमें फँसकर बन्धनको प्राप्त हो अपने प्राण खो देते हैं और बलवान् पक्षी जाल तोड़कर उसके बन्धनसे मुक्त हो जाते हैं, उसी प्रकार कर्मजनित बन्धनोंसे बँधे हुए निर्बल योगी सर्वथा नष्ट हो जाते हैं, किंतु परंतप! योगबलसे सम्पन्न योगी सब प्रकारके बन्धनोंसे छुटकारा पा जाते हैं ।। अल्पकश्न यथा राजन वदह्लि: शाम्यति दुर्बल: । आक्रान्त इन्धनै: स्थूलैस्तद्वद् योगोडबल: प्रभो,राजन! जैसे अल्प होनेके कारण दुर्बल अग्निपर बड़े-बड़े मोटे ईँधन रख देनेसे वह जलनेके बजाय बुझ जाती है, प्रभो! उसी प्रकार निर्बल योगी महान् योगके भारसे दबकर नष्ट हो जाता है
śatrudamana! yathā nirbala-pakṣiṇaḥ sūkṣma-jāle phasītvā bandhanaṃ prāpya prāṇān jahati, balavantaḥ pakṣiṇaś ca jālaṃ bhittvā tasya bandhanād vimucyante, tathā karma-janita-bandhanaiḥ baddhā nirbalā yoginaḥ sarvathā naśyanti; kintu parantapa! yoga-balena sampannā yoginaḥ sarva-bandhanebhyaḥ pramucyante. alpakāgniḥ yathā rājan vahnīḥ śāmyati durbalaḥ, ākrānta indhanaiḥ sthūlaiḥ; tadvat yogaḥ durbalaḥ prabho—rājan! yathā alpatvāt durbalo ’gniḥ sthūla-indhana-bhāreṇa dīpyamānaḥ na bhavati, api tu śāmyati, tathā nirbalo yogī mahato yogasya bhāreṇa pīḍitaḥ praṇaśyati.
Bhishma said: “O tamer of foes! Just as a weak bird, caught in a fine net, falls into bondage and loses its life, while a strong bird breaks the net and escapes its bonds, so too weak yogins—bound by fetters born of their own actions—are utterly ruined. But, O scorcher of enemies, yogins endowed with the strength of Yoga win release from every kind of bondage. O king, a small and feeble fire is quenched when heavy, thick logs are heaped upon it; in the same way, O lord, a weak practitioner, crushed under the weight of great Yoga, perishes rather than attaining its fruit.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Yoga must be undertaken with adequate inner strength and preparation; otherwise, the practitioner remains trapped in karma-born bondage and may be harmed by attempting a ‘great’ discipline without capacity. True yogic power breaks bonds and leads toward freedom.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs the king on dharma and spiritual practice. Here he uses two analogies—birds in a net and a small fire smothered by heavy logs—to contrast weak, unprepared yogins who fail with strong, well-endowed yogins who attain release.