Shloka 19
Mind as Charioteer; Kṣetrajña, Tapas, and Dhyāna-Yoga
Adhyātma-Upadeśa
यथाध्वानमपाथेय: प्रपन्नो मनुज: क्वचित् । क्लेशेन याति महता विनश्येदन्तरापि च
yathādhvānam apātheyaḥ prapanno manuṣaḥ kvacit | kleśena yāti mahatā vinaśyed antarāpi ca ||
Vāyu berkata: Seperti seorang yang memulakan perjalanan tanpa bekalan di jalan, dia hanya mampu meneruskan dengan kesusahan yang besar—bahkan boleh binasa di pertengahan; demikian juga, sesiapa menempuh perjalanan hidup tanpa bekal batin (kelakuan benar, pengendalian diri, dan kesiapsiagaan) terdedah kepada derita dan kehancuran.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that undertaking any major course—especially the moral and spiritual journey of life—requires proper ‘provisions’: foresight, discipline, and dharmic conduct. Without these supports, one is forced into severe hardship and may fail before reaching the goal.
Vāyudeva speaks in a didactic tone, using a concrete travel metaphor: a traveler without supplies suffers greatly and may die on the way. The image is used to warn the listener about the dangers of proceeding without adequate preparation and inner resources.