Shloka 51
Saṃhāra-krama (The Sequence of Cosmic Dissolution) — Yājñavalkya’s Discourse
यथा कश्रिद् वन॑ घोरं बहुसर्पसरीसूपम् । श्वभ्रवत् तोयहीनं च दुर्गमें बहुकण्टकम्
yathā kaścid vanaṁ ghoraṁ bahu-sarpa-sarīsṛpam | śvabhravat toyahīnaṁ ca durgamaṁ bahu-kaṇṭakam ||
Bhīṣma berkata: Seperti hanya orang yang amat jarang dapat melintasi dengan selamat hutan yang mengerikan—bagai jurang tanpa air—dipenuhi banyak ular dan makhluk melata, sukar ditempuh dan penuh duri, nyaris tanpa bekal, sarat ancaman, pepohonannya hangus oleh kebakaran hutan, dan jalannya dipenuhi perampok; demikian pula, hanya seorang dvija yang jarang, berlindung pada jalan Yoga, mampu melangkah di sana dengan berhasil, sebab jalan itu dikenang penuh banyak cela—banyak kesukaran dan bahaya.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the yogic path is intrinsically difficult and perilous—like crossing a deadly, thorny, waterless forest—and therefore only a rare, well-prepared practitioner can proceed safely; it calls for vigilance, endurance, and freedom from common pitfalls.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on higher dharma and spiritual disciplines. Here he uses a vivid simile of a dangerous forest journey to explain why progress on the path of Yoga is uncommon and requires exceptional steadiness.