Shloka 15
Saṃhāra-krama (The Sequence of Cosmic Dissolution) — Yājñavalkya’s Discourse
अबलाश्च मृगा राजन् वागुरासु तथा परे | विनश्यन्ति न संदेहस्तद्वद् योगबलादृते
abalāś ca mṛgā rājan vāgurāsu tathā pare | vinaśyanti na saṃdehas tadvad yogabalād ṛte nara-īśvara ||
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai Raja, sebagaimana rusa yang lemah dan binatang lain, apabila terjerat jaring, pasti binasa tanpa syak; demikian juga keadaan manusia yang tiada kekuatan yang lahir daripada yoga.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Without yogabala—inner discipline, steadiness of mind, and self-mastery—a person becomes helpless against binding forces (desire, fear, temptation, external pressures) and is easily ruined, like weak animals trapped in nets.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs the king on dharma and the means of inner stability. Here he uses a vivid hunting image—animals caught in snares—to warn that a ruler (and any person) must cultivate yogic strength to avoid inevitable downfall.