Shloka 24
Mind as Charioteer; Kṣetrajña, Tapas, and Dhyāna-Yoga
Adhyātma-Upadeśa
यावद् रथपथस्तावदू रथेन स तु गच्छति । क्षीणे रथपदे विद्वान् रथमुत्सूज्य गच्छति
yāvad rathapathas tāvadū rathena sa tu gacchati | kṣīṇe rathapade vidvān ratham utsṛjya gacchati |
ພະວາຍຸກ່າວວ່າ: «ຕາມທີ່ຍັງມີທາງລົດ ກໍໄປດ້ວຍລົດ. ເມື່ອຮອຍທາງລົດສິ້ນສຸດ ຜູ້ມີປັນຍາປະລົດໄວ້ ແລ້ວໄປຕໍ່ດ້ວຍຕີນ. ໃນທຳນອງດຽວກັນ ນັກເດີນທາງຜູ້ໂງ່ຍຶດຕິດວິທີດຽວ ແລະທົນທຸກເມື່ອພູມສັນຖານປ່ຽນ; ແຕ່ຜູ້ຮູ້ເຫັນຈະປັບວິທີຕາມຂອບເຂດຂອງເສັ້ນທາງ».
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Use appropriate means only as long as they are effective and fitting; when circumstances change, the wise relinquish attachment to a tool or method and proceed by a better-suited way. Clinging rigidly to one approach leads to needless suffering.
Vāyu illustrates a moral point through a travel metaphor: a chariot is useful on a proper road, but once the track ends, continuing with it is impractical. The example contrasts the foolish person’s stubbornness with the wise person’s discernment and flexibility.