Shloka 28
Mind as Charioteer; Kṣetrajña, Tapas, and Dhyāna-Yoga
Adhyātma-Upadeśa
तीर्णो गच्छेत् परं पारं नावमुत्सृज्य निर्मम: । व्याख्यातं पूर्वकल्पेन यथा रथपदातिनो:,जिस तरह जलमार्गके विभागको जाननेवाला बुद्धिमान पुरुष सुन्दर डाँडवाली नावके द्वारा अनायास ही जलपर यात्रा करके शीघ्र समुद्रसे तर जाता है एवं पार पहुँच जानेपर नावकी ममता छोड़कर चल देता है; (उसी प्रकार संसार-सागरसे पार हो जानेपर बुद्धिमान् पुरुष पहलेके साधन-सामग्रीकी ममता छोड़ देता है।) यह बात रथपर चलनेवाले और पैदल चलनेवालेके दृष्टान्तसे पहले भी कही जा चुकी है
tīrṇo gacchet paraṃ pāraṃ nāvam utsṛjya nirmamaḥ | vyākhyātaṃ pūrvakalpena yathā rathapadātinoḥ ||
Vāyu said: “Having crossed over, one should proceed to the further shore, abandoning the boat and free from possessiveness. This has already been explained earlier by the former illustration—like the case of one who rides in a chariot and one who goes on foot.” The ethical point is that spiritual means are to be used as instruments for crossing saṃsāra; once the goal is reached, the wise relinquish attachment even to the very aids that helped them.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Use supports (disciplines, methods, aids) to cross the ‘ocean’ of worldly bondage, but do not cling to them as possessions; once the goal is reached, the wise abandon attachment even to the means, becoming nirmama (free of ‘mine-ness’).
Vāyudeva delivers a concise instruction through a familiar simile: just as a traveler leaves the boat behind after reaching the far bank, so too should one relinquish possessiveness toward prior instruments of progress; he notes that this point was already taught earlier via the chariot-versus-foot-traveler illustration.