Vānaprastha-vṛtti and the Transition toward the Fourth Āśrama (वानप्रस्थवृत्तिः चतुर्थाश्रमोपक्रमश्च)
इस प्रकार योगरथपर आरूढ़ हो साधनकी इच्छा रखनेवाले तथा अविनाशी परब्रह्म परमात्माको तत्काल प्राप्त करनेकी कामनावाले साधकको जिस उपायसे शीघ्र सफलता मिलती है, वह उपाय मैं बता रहा हूँ ।।
vyāsa uvāca | evaṃprakāraṃ yogarathaparam ārūḍho sādhana-icchā-rakṣaṇavān tathāvināśinaṃ parabrahma paramātmānaṃ tatkālaṃ prāptuṃ kāmayamānaḥ sādhakaḥ yena upāyena śīghraṃ saphalatāṃ labhate, tam upāyaṃ ahaṃ bravīmi || sapta yā dhāraṇāḥ kṛtsnā vāg-yataḥ pratipadyate | pṛṣṭhataḥ pārśvataś cānyās tāvaty astāḥ pradhāraṇāḥ ||
Vyāsa dit : «Étant monté sur le char du Yoga — avide d’une pratique disciplinée et désireux d’atteindre sur-le-champ le Brahman suprême impérissable, le Paramātman — je vais déclarer la méthode par laquelle le chercheur obtient vite le succès. Il est sept ‘concentrations’ (dhāraṇā) complètes que doit entreprendre celui qui a maîtrisé la parole ; et, outre celles-ci, il existe d’autres concentrations principales, disposées comme en arrière et sur les côtés.»
व्यास उवाच
The verse introduces a practical yogic roadmap: swift spiritual success comes through a defined set of dhāraṇās (concentrations) undertaken with disciplined restraint—especially restraint of speech—aimed at realizing the imperishable Supreme (Parabrahman/Paramātman).
Vyāsa, as teacher, transitions into instruction: he announces that he will explain the method by which an earnest practitioner quickly attains the Supreme, and he begins by enumerating a structured set of dhāraṇās, indicating seven primary ones and additional principal forms.