Shloka 44
अक्षरब्रह्मयोगः | Akṣara-Brahma-Yoga
The Yoga of the Imperishable Brahman
सम्बन्ध--अब पवित्र श्रीमानोंके घरमें जन्म लेनेवाले योगश्रष्ट पुरुषकी परिस्थितिका वर्णन करते हुए योगको जाननेकी इच्छाका महत्त्व बतलाते हैं-- पूर्वाभ्यासेन तेनैव ह्वियते हवशो5पि सः । जिज्ञासुरपि योगस्य शब्दब्रह्मयातिवर्तते,वह श्रीमानोंके घरमें जन्म लेनेवाला योगगश्रष्ट पराधीन हुआ भी उस पहलेके अभ्याससे ही निस्संदेह भगवानकी ओर आकर्षित किया जाता है तथा समबुद्धिरूप योगका जिकज्ञासु भी वेदमें कहे हुए सकामकर्मोंके फलको उल्लंघन कर जाता हैः
pūrvābhyāsena tenaiva hriyate hy avaśo 'pi saḥ | jijñāsur api yogasya śabda-brahmātivartate ||
By the force of that very practice from a former life, he is drawn onward—indeed, even against his will. And even one who merely longs to understand Yoga rises beyond the realm of ‘śabda-brahman’, the Vedic word concerned with ritual and its reward-bearing actions. The ethical point is that sincere aspiration and prior discipline carry a person toward inner steadiness and Godward orientation, surpassing mere external religiosity aimed at results.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Past spiritual practice creates a momentum that draws a person toward Yoga and Godward life even when circumstances or personal will are weak; and even the sincere desire to understand Yoga lifts one beyond a merely result-seeking, ritual-centered religiosity.
In the Bhīṣma Parva dialogue context, the speaker explains the destiny of a yoga-bhraṣṭa (one who fell from Yoga) and emphasizes the power of prior practice and genuine inquiry: such a person is pulled back toward Yoga and transcends the Vedic domain focused on sacrificial actions and their fruits.