Shloka 57

Devanagari script

नानाशास्त्रेषु निष्पन्नं योगेष्विदमुदाह्तम्‌ । परं योगस्य यत्‌ कृत्यं निश्चितं तद्‌ द्विजातिषु,यह मैंने तुम्हें योगविषयक नाना शास्त्रोंका सिद्धान्त बतलाया है। योग-साधनाका जो- जो कृत्य है, वह द्विजातियोंके लिये ही निश्चित किया गया है अर्थात्‌ उन्हींका उसमें अधिकार है

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | nānāśāstreṣu niṣpannaṃ yogeṣv idam udāhṛtam | paraṃ yogasya yat kṛtyaṃ niścitaṃ tad dvijātiṣu ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “What has been established through many treatises has been stated here regarding the disciplines of yoga. The highest duties of yoga—those practices that are decisively prescribed—are ordained for the twice-born (dvija); that is, they are held to have the rightful qualification for them.”

Word by Word

• {'bhīṣma uvāca': 'Bhishma said', 'nānā-śāstreṣu': 'in many śāstras

• across diverse authoritative treatises', 'niṣpannam': 'fully established

• brought to a settled doctrine', 'yogeṣu': 'in yogas

• in the disciplines/practices of yoga', 'idam': 'this (teaching/statement)', 'udāhṛtam': 'declared

• set forth', 'param': 'supreme

• highest', 'yogasya': 'of yoga', 'yat': 'which

• whatever', 'kṛtyam': 'duty

• prescribed practice', 'niścitām': 'decided

• definitively determined', 'tad': 'that', 'dvijātiṣu': 'among/for the twice-born (brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• dvijāti (twice-born classes)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma grounds his instruction in multi-śāstra authority and asserts an adhikāra principle: the definitive, highest yogic duties are prescribed for the dvija communities, implying regulated access to certain Vedic-linked yogic disciplines.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s didactic setting, Bhishma continues advising on dharma and spiritual practice. Here he summarizes that his yoga teaching reflects established śāstric conclusions and specifies who is traditionally considered qualified to undertake the prescribed yogic regimen.