Shloka 52
Saṃhāra-krama (The Sequence of Cosmic Dissolution) — Yājñavalkya’s Discourse
अभक्तमटवीप्रायं दावदग्धमहीरुहम् । पन्थानं तस्कराकीर्ण क्षेमेणाभिपतेद् युवा
abhaktamaṭavīprāyaṁ dāvadagdhamahīruham | panthānaṁ taskarākīrṇaṁ kṣemeṇābhipated yuvā ||
Bhīṣma berkata: Seorang pemuda yang jarang mungkin dapat menempuh dengan selamat jalan yang bagaikan belantara tak berpenghuni—pepohonannya hangus oleh kebakaran hutan, jalannya dipenuhi perampok—di mana makanan tak didapat dan perjalanan keras serta berbahaya. Demikian pula, hanya seorang dvija yang jarang, berlindung pada jalan Yoga, dapat melangkah dengan terampil di atasnya.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that genuine progress in Yoga is rare and demanding: like safely crossing a perilous, foodless, fire-scorched forest-road infested with robbers, the yogic path is full of obstacles and requires exceptional steadiness, discipline, and discernment.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction to Yudhishthira, Bhishma uses a vivid simile: only an uncommon young traveler can safely traverse a terrifying wilderness-road; likewise, only a rare qualified person can move competently along the yogic discipline because it is beset with many difficulties.