Shloka 26
Mind as Charioteer; Kṣetrajña, Tapas, and Dhyāna-Yoga
Adhyātma-Upadeśa
एतत् पदमनुद्धिग्नं वरिष्ठ धर्मलक्षणम् । उस विषयको यहाँ पूर्णतया सुनकर अच्छी प्रकार धारण करो। सब प्राणियोंकी अहिंसा ही सर्वोत्तम कर्तव्य है--ऐसा माना गया है। यह साधन उद्देगरहित, सर्वश्रेष्ठ और धर्मको लक्षित करानेवाला है,यथार्णवं महाघोरमप्लव: सम्प्रगाहते । बाहुभ्यामेव सम्मोहाद् वर्ध वाउ्छत्यसंशयम् जैसे कोई पुरुष मोहवश बिना नावके ही भयंकर समुद्रमें प्रवेश करता है और दोनों भुजाओंसे ही तैरकर उसके पार होनेका भरोसा रखता है तो निश्चय ही वह अपनी मौत बुलाना चाहता है (उसी प्रकार ज्ञान-नौकाका सहारा लिये बिना मनुष्य भवसागरसे पार नहीं हो सकता)
etad padam anuddhignaṁ variṣṭha-dharma-lakṣaṇam | yathārṇavaṁ mahāghoram aplavaḥ sampragāhate | bāhubhyām eva sammohād vardha vāñchaty asaṁśayam ||
Vāyu said: “This is the unagitating (fearless) path, the highest mark of dharma. Just as a man, deluded, enters a vast and dreadful ocean without a boat and trusts that he will cross by swimming with his arms alone—so, without doubt, he is courting destruction. In the same way, without the support of true knowledge, one cannot cross the ocean of worldly existence.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the highest, fear-free path of dharma requires the support of true knowledge; attempting to cross saṁsāra relying only on one’s own limited effort is like entering a terrifying ocean without a boat—an act that leads to ruin.
Vāyudeva is instructing the listener about the nature of supreme dharma and illustrates his point with a vivid simile: a deluded man tries to cross a dreadful sea without a boat, trusting only his arms—highlighting the necessity of a proper means (knowledge) to attain liberation.