Shloka 5
नारद–शुक संवादः (Nārada–Śuka Dialogue): Tyāga, Saṃyama, and Vyakta–Avyakta Viveka
रुद्रप्रधानानपरान् विद्धि योगानरिंदम । तेनैव चाथ देहेन विचरन्ति दिशो दश
rudrapradhānān aparān viddhi yogān ariṃdama | tenaiva cātha dehena vicaranti diśo daśa śatrudamana nareśa ||
Yājñavalkya dit : «Ô dompteur d’ennemis, sache que ces disciplines du yoga sont les plus éminentes, car Rudra—entends ici le souffle vital (prāṇa)—en est le principe souverain. Lorsque ce prāṇa même est maîtrisé, on dit que les yogins, avec ce corps-ci pourtant, se meuvent librement dans les dix directions. L’enseignement met l’accent sur la gouvernance intérieure : la souveraineté sur soi devient le fondement d’une liberté extraordinaire.»
याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that yogic practice is fundamentally prāṇa-centered (called ‘Rudra’ here), and that mastery over prāṇa is the key to mastery over oneself; extraordinary capacities are presented as consequences of inner control rather than as the primary goal.
In the Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, the sage Yājñavalkya addresses a king, praising prāṇa-dominant yogas and describing the traditional claim that yogins who control prāṇa can roam freely in all ten directions while still embodied.