Shloka 54

Saṃhāra-krama (The Sequence of Cosmic Dissolution) — Yājñavalkya’s Discourse

Devanagari script

सुस्थेयं क्षुधधारासु निशितासु महीपते । धारणासु तु योगस्य दुःस्थेयमकृतात्मभि:

Transliteration

su-stheyaṁ kṣudhā-dhārāsu niśitāsu mahīpate | dhāraṇāsu tu yogasya duḥstheyam akṛtātmabhiḥ pṛthvīpate ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Ô roi, on peut, avec aisance, se tenir debout même sur le tranchant aigu d’une lame ; mais pour ceux dont l’être intérieur n’est ni purifié ni discipliné, demeurer stable dans les pratiques de concentration yogique (dhāraṇā) est d’une difficulté extrême.»

Word by Word

• सुस्थेयम्: easy to stand/maintain
• सुस्थेयम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुस्थेय (स्थेया-प्रत्ययान्त, √स्था)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• क्षुधधारासु: on/among the edges of a razor
• क्षुधधारासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुधधारा
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• निशितासु: sharp
• निशितासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निशित
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• महीपते: O king (lord of the earth)
• महीपते: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• धारणासु: in the concentrations/retentions
• धारणासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारणा
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• तु: but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• योगस्य: of yoga
• योगस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• दुःस्थेयम्: hard to stand/maintain
• दुःस्थेयम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःस्थेय (स्थेया-प्रत्ययान्त, √स्था)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अकृतात्मभिः: by the undisciplined/impure-minded (persons)
• अकृतात्मभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: अकृतात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• पृथ्वीपते: O lord of the earth
• पृथ्वीपते: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वीपति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (Yudhishthira, addressed as Mahipati/Pṛthvīpati)
• razor/blade edge
• yoga
• dhāraṇā (concentration)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

External hardships can be borne, but true steadiness in yogic concentration demands an inwardly purified, disciplined mind; without self-mastery (kṛtātman), dhāraṇā becomes extremely difficult.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to the king, Bhīṣma emphasizes the rigor of inner spiritual practice, using the razor-edge image to contrast physical endurance with the greater challenge of mental and ethical self-discipline required for yoga.