Shloka 26

अध्याय १९० — वामदेव-वाम्य-वृत्तान्तः

The Vāmadeva Horses Episode and the Ethics of Promise

Devanagari script

तं॑ मां महाफलं विद्धि नराणां भावितात्मनाम्‌ | सुदुष्प्रापं विमूढानां मार्ग योगैर्निषेवितम्‌,विद्वन्‌! पापकर्मा, लोभी, कृपण, अनार्य और अजितात्मा मनुष्य जिसे कभी नहीं पा सकते वह महान्‌ फल मुझे ही समझो। मैं ही शुद्ध अन्तःकरणवाले मानवोंको सुलभ होनेवाला योगसेवित मार्ग हूँ। मूढ़ मनुष्योंके लिये मैं सर्वथा दुर्लभ हूँ

Transliteration

taṁ māṁ mahāphalaṁ viddhi narāṇāṁ bhāvitātmanām | suduṣprāpaṁ vimūḍhānāṁ mārgaṁ yogair niṣevitam, vidvan |

Translation

Know Me to be that supreme reward for people of cultivated, disciplined inner life. For the deluded I am exceedingly hard to attain; I am the path honored and practiced through yoga. The sinful, greedy, miserly, ignoble, and self-unconquered person does not reach Me; but for those whose inner being is purified, I am readily accessible as the yogic way itself.

Word by Word

• {'taṁ mām': 'that Me

• the divine speaker identifying Himself as the goal', 'mahāphalam': 'great fruit

• the highest result/reward', 'viddhi': 'know

• understand with certainty', 'narāṇām': 'of men/people', 'bhāvitātmanām': 'of those whose self is cultivated/formed

• disciplined in mind and character', 'suduṣprāpam': 'very difficult to obtain', 'vimūḍhānām': 'of the deluded/confused', 'mārgam': 'path

• way of attainment', 'yogaiḥ': 'by yogas

• by yogic disciplines/means', 'niṣevitam': 'practiced, resorted to, cultivated', 'vidvan': 'O wise one

• form of address to the listener', 'pāpakarmā': 'one of sinful deeds', 'lobhī': 'greedy person', 'kṛpaṇa': 'miserly, petty-minded person', 'anārya': 'ignoble

• lacking noble conduct', 'ajitātmā': 'one who has not conquered the self

Speaker

देव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Deva (the divine speaker)
• Vidvan (addressed wise interlocutor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The divine goal is accessible through yogic discipline to those with a cultivated, purified inner life, but remains unattainable for those driven by sin, greed, miserliness, ignoble conduct, and lack of self-control. Ethical character and self-mastery are presented as prerequisites for spiritual realization.

What is happening in the narrative?

A deity speaks directly to a wise listener, identifying Himself as both the supreme fruit and the yogic path. The speech contrasts two types of seekers—those with purified, disciplined minds who can approach the divine, and deluded, morally compromised, uncontrolled people for whom the goal is extremely difficult.