Shloka 6

Pūjya-namaskārya-prakaraṇa

On Those Worthy of Honor and Salutation

Devanagari script

सुदुर्वहं बहन्‌ योगं कृशो धमनिसंततः । त्वगस्थिभूतो धर्मात्मा स पपातेति नः श्रुतम्‌

Transliteration

sudurvahaṁ bahan yogaṁ kṛśo dhamanisaṁtataḥ | tvagasthibhūto dharmātmā sa papāteti naḥ śrutam |

Translation

Nous avons entendu dire que, s’étant soumis à une discipline de yoga d’une dureté extrême, il devint décharné, les veines saillantes. Ce juste ne fut plus guère que peau sur os, et, dans cet état, incapable de se soutenir, il s’effondra : telle est la tradition parvenue jusqu’à nous.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'sudurvaham', 'definition': 'very hard to bear

• extremely difficult to endure'}, {'term': 'bahan', 'definition': 'bearing, carrying on, undertaking (a practice)'}, {'term': 'yogam', 'definition': 'yogic discipline

• concentrated spiritual exertion'}, {'term': 'kṛśaḥ', 'definition': 'emaciated, thin, weakened'}, {'term': 'dhamani-saṁtataḥ', 'definition': 'with veins/arteries stretched or prominent

• sinews standing out'}, {'term': 'tvak-asthi-bhūtaḥ', 'definition': 'become (only) skin and bones

• reduced to a skeletal frame'}, {'term': 'dharmātmā', 'definition': 'righteous-souled

• devoted to dharma'}, {'term': 'papāta', 'definition': 'fell down'}, {'term': 'iti naḥ śrutam', 'definition': 'thus we have heard

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights both the seriousness of yogic austerity and the ethical caution that even a dharmic practitioner can be physically overwhelmed. It implies that spiritual striving must recognize bodily limits; endurance is praised, but reckless extremity can lead to collapse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śakra (Indra) reports a heard account: a righteous practitioner undertook a very difficult yogic discipline, became severely emaciated with prominent veins, and ultimately fell down because he could not maintain his body in that weakened state.