Shloka 22
Yoga-kṛtya (योककृत्य) — Vyāsa on Sense-Restraint, Obstacles, and Brahman-Realization
तपो निः:श्रेयसं जन्तोस्तस्य मूलं शमो दम: । तेन सर्वानिवाप्नोति यान् कामान् मनसेच्छति,तप ही जीवके कल्याणका मुख्य साधन है। तपका मूल है शम और दम। पुरुष अपने मनसे जिन-जिन कामनाओंको पाना चाहता है, उन सबको वह तपस्यासे प्राप्त कर लेता है
tapo niḥśreyasaṃ jantostasya mūlaṃ śamo damaḥ | tena sarvān ivāpnoti yān kāmān manasecchati ||
Dijo Vyāsa: Para el ser viviente, la austeridad (tapas) es un medio directo hacia el bien supremo. La raíz de esa austeridad es la calma interior (śama) y el dominio de sí (dama). Mediante tal disciplina, el hombre alcanza todos los fines y cumplimientos que la mente busca con rectitud.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Tapas (disciplined austerity) leads toward the highest good (niḥśreyasa), but it must be rooted in śama (inner calm) and dama (sense-restraint). When mind and senses are governed, one gains the capacity to realize one’s chosen aims in a dharmic way.
In the instruction-heavy Shānti Parva, Vyāsa states a general ethical-spiritual principle: true austerity is not mere hardship but disciplined living founded on mental tranquility and self-control, which empowers a person to attain desired goals and ultimately supports the pursuit of the highest welfare.