Shloka 54

Devanagari script

सुस्थेयं क्षुधधारासु निशितासु महीपते । धारणासु तु योगस्य दुःस्थेयमकृतात्मभि:,पृथ्वीपते! छुरेकी तीखी धारपर कोई सुखपूर्वक खड़ा रह सकता है; किंतु जिनका चित्त शुद्ध नहीं है, ऐसे मनुष्योंका योगकी धारणाओंमें स्थिर रहना नितान्त कठिन है

Transliteration

su-stheyaṁ kṣudhā-dhārāsu niśitāsu mahīpate | dhāraṇāsu tu yogasya duḥstheyam akṛtātmabhiḥ pṛthvīpate ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “O king, one may stand with ease even upon the sharp edge of a blade; but for those whose inner self is unrefined and undisciplined, to remain steady in the practices of yogic concentration (dhāraṇā) is exceedingly difficult.”

Word by Word

सुस्थेयम्easy to stand/maintain

क्षुधधारासुon/among the edges of a razor

निशितासुsharp

महीपतेO king (lord of the earth)

धारणासुin the concentrations/retentions

तुbut

योगस्यof yoga

दुःस्थेयम्hard to stand/maintain

अकृतात्मभिःby the undisciplined/impure-minded (persons)

पृथ्वीपतेO lord of the earth

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

king (Yudhishthira, addressed as Mahipati/Pṛthvīpati)

razor/blade edge

yoga

dhāraṇā (concentration)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

External hardships can be borne, but true steadiness in yogic concentration demands an inwardly purified, disciplined mind; without self-mastery (kṛtātman), dhāraṇā becomes extremely difficult.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to the king, Bhīṣma emphasizes the rigor of inner spiritual practice, using the razor-edge image to contrast physical endurance with the greater challenge of mental and ethical self-discipline required for yoga.