Shloka 54
Saṃhāra-krama (The Sequence of Cosmic Dissolution) — Yājñavalkya’s Discourse
सुस्थेयं क्षुधधारासु निशितासु महीपते । धारणासु तु योगस्य दुःस्थेयमकृतात्मभि:
su-stheyaṁ kṣudhā-dhārāsu niśitāsu mahīpate | dhāraṇāsu tu yogasya duḥstheyam akṛtātmabhiḥ pṛthvīpate ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai raja, seseorang bahkan dapat berdiri dengan mudah di atas sisi tajam sebilah pisau; tetapi bagi mereka yang batinnya belum disucikan dan tidak terlatih, tetap teguh dalam latihan dhāraṇā (konsentrasi yogis) amatlah sulit.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.