Shloka 22
तैलपात्रं यथा पूर्ण कराभ्यां गृह पूरुष: । सोपानमारुहेद् भीतस्तर्ज्यमानो 5डसिपाणिभि:,जैसे मनको संयममें रखनेवाला सावधान मनुष्य हाथोंमें तेलसे भरा कटोरा लेकर सीढ़ीपर चढ़े और उस समय बहुतसे पुरुष हाथमें तलवार लेकर उसे डराने-धमकाने लगें तो भी वह उनके डरसे एक बूँद भी तेल पात्रसे गिरने नहीं देता, उसी प्रकार योगकी ऊँची स्थितिको प्राप्त हुआ एकाग्रचित्त योगी इन्द्रियोंकी स्थिरता और मनकी अविचल स्थितिके कारण समाधिसे विचलित नहीं होता। योगसिद्ध मुनिके ऐसे ही लक्षण समझने चाहिये
tailapātraṃ yathā pūrṇaṃ karābhyāṃ gṛhapūruṣaḥ | sopānam āruhed bhītas tarjyamāno ’sipaṇibhiḥ ||
Yājñavalkya said: “Just as a careful man, keeping his mind restrained, climbs a staircase while holding in both hands a bowl filled with oil—so threatened and frightened by many men bearing swords that he does not let even a single drop spill—so too a yogin who has reached the higher state of yoga, being one-pointed in mind, does not waver from samādhi. Through the steadiness of the senses (indriya) and the unshaken condition of the mind, he remains unmoved. Such are the marks by which one should recognize a perfected sage.”
याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Unbroken attentiveness and restraint are the hallmark of yogic perfection: like a person who will not spill even a drop of oil under threat, the accomplished yogin does not slip from samādhi because the senses are steady and the mind remains unwavering.
Yājñavalkya illustrates the yogin’s inner stability through a vivid example: an ordinary man climbs stairs holding a full oil-bowl while armed men threaten him; despite fear, he maintains perfect care. This becomes a metaphor for the yogin’s unshakable concentration amid disturbances.