Shloka 57

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

Devanagari script

नानाशास्त्रेषु निष्पन्नं योगेष्विदमुदाह्तम्‌ । परं योगस्य यत्‌ कृत्यं निश्चितं तद्‌ द्विजातिषु

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | nānāśāstreṣu niṣpannaṃ yogeṣv idam udāhṛtam | paraṃ yogasya yat kṛtyaṃ niścitaṃ tad dvijātiṣu ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Ce qui a été établi par de nombreux traités a été énoncé ici au sujet du yoga. Les devoirs suprêmes du yoga —ces pratiques prescrites de façon décisive— sont ordonnés pour les “deux-fois-nés” (dvija) ; c’est-à-dire qu’on tient qu’ils en ont la qualification légitime.»

Word by Word

• {'bhīṣma uvāca': 'Bhishma said', 'nānā-śāstreṣu': 'in many śāstras

• across diverse authoritative treatises', 'niṣpannam': 'fully established

• brought to a settled doctrine', 'yogeṣu': 'in yogas

• in the disciplines/practices of yoga', 'idam': 'this (teaching/statement)', 'udāhṛtam': 'declared

• set forth', 'param': 'supreme

• highest', 'yogasya': 'of yoga', 'yat': 'which

• whatever', 'kṛtyam': 'duty

• prescribed practice', 'niścitām': 'decided

• definitively determined', 'tad': 'that', 'dvijātiṣu': 'among/for the twice-born (brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• dvijāti (twice-born classes)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma grounds his instruction in multi-śāstra authority and asserts an adhikāra principle: the definitive, highest yogic duties are prescribed for the dvija communities, implying regulated access to certain Vedic-linked yogic disciplines.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s didactic setting, Bhishma continues advising on dharma and spiritual practice. Here he summarizes that his yoga teaching reflects established śāstric conclusions and specifies who is traditionally considered qualified to undertake the prescribed yogic regimen.