Shloka 52
Saṃhāra-krama (The Sequence of Cosmic Dissolution) — Yājñavalkya’s Discourse
अभक्तमटवीप्रायं दावदग्धमहीरुहम् । पन्थानं तस्कराकीर्ण क्षेमेणाभिपतेद् युवा
abhaktamaṭavīprāyaṁ dāvadagdhamahīruham | panthānaṁ taskarākīrṇaṁ kṣemeṇābhipated yuvā ||
भीष्म म्हणाले—जसा एखादाच विरळा नवयुवक निर्जन अटवीसारख्या, दावानलाने दग्ध झालेल्या वृक्षांनी भरलेल्या आणि चोरांनी व्यापलेल्या मार्गावर—जिथे अन्न मिळत नाही व प्रवास कठोर व भयावह आहे—सकुशल चालू शकतो; तसाच योगमार्गाचा आश्रय घेऊन एखादाच विरळा द्विज कुशलतेने पुढे जाऊ शकतो.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that genuine progress in Yoga is rare and demanding: like safely crossing a perilous, foodless, fire-scorched forest-road infested with robbers, the yogic path is full of obstacles and requires exceptional steadiness, discipline, and discernment.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction to Yudhishthira, Bhishma uses a vivid simile: only an uncommon young traveler can safely traverse a terrifying wilderness-road; likewise, only a rare qualified person can move competently along the yogic discipline because it is beset with many difficulties.