Shloka 20
अग्निवंशवर्णनम् (Agni-vaṃśa-varṇana) / The Genealogy and Function of Agni
एष योगविधि: कृत्स्नो यावदिन्द्रियधारणम् । एतन्मूलं हि तपस: कृत्स्नस्य नरकस्य च
eṣa yogavidhiḥ kṛtsno yāvad indriyadhāraṇam | etanmūlaṃ hi tapasaḥ kṛtsnasya narakasya ca ||
El cazador dijo: «Éste es, por completo, el método del yoga: la contención y firme sujeción de los sentidos. Pues esta disciplina es la raíz de toda austeridad; y, cuando se la descuida, es también la raíz de toda caída al infierno».
व्याध उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the essence of yoga and the foundation of true tapas is indriya-dhāraṇa—firm restraint of the senses. The same domain is ethically decisive: mastery supports spiritual progress, while lack of restraint becomes a root-cause for downfall and suffering (symbolized as naraka).
In the Vana Parva’s dialogue where the vyādha instructs a seeker on dharma and right conduct, he summarizes practical spirituality: yoga is not merely ritual or theory but lived discipline, centered on controlling the senses, which determines whether one’s life tends toward purification or ruin.