Shloka 50
Saṃhāra-krama (The Sequence of Cosmic Dissolution) — Yājñavalkya’s Discourse
पृथ्वीनाथ! नृपश्रेष्ठ) काम
bhīṣma uvāca | pṛthvīnātha nṛpaśreṣṭha kāmaṁ krodhaṁ śītoṣṇe varṣāṁ bhayaṁ śokaṁ śvāsaṁ manuṣyāṇāṁ priyān viṣayān durjayam asantoṣaṁ ghorāṁ tṛṣṇāṁ sparśaṁ nidrāṁ tathā durjayam ālasyam jitvā vītarāgo mahān uttama-buddhi-yukto mahātmā yogī svādhyāyaṁ ca dhyānaṁ ca sampādya buddhyā sūkṣmam ātmānaṁ sākṣātkurvanti || durgas tv eṣa mataḥ panthā brāhmaṇānāṁ vipaścitām | yaḥ kaścid vrajati hy asmin kṣemeṇa bharatarṣabha ||
Bhīṣma berkata: Wahai tuan bumi, raja yang terbaik—setelah menaklukkan nafsu dan amarah; sejuk dan panas; hujan; takut dan dukacita; nafas yang gelisah; objek-objek indera yang tampak manis bagi manusia; ketidakpuasan yang sukar ditundukkan; dahaga keinginan yang ganas; godaan sentuhan; tidur; serta kemalasan yang degil—seseorang menjadi bebas daripada keterikatan. Yogin yang berjiwa agung, berakal tinggi lagi halus, menyempurnakan swādhyāya dan meditasi; lalu dengan daya kebijaksanaan pembedaan, menyaksikan secara langsung Ātman yang halus. Namun, wahai banteng keturunan Bharata, para Brahmana bijaksana menilai jalan Yoga ini sukar bagaikan kubu; hanya insan yang jarang dapat menempuhnya dengan selamat dan berjaya.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Liberation-oriented yoga requires victory over inner enemies (desire, anger, discontent, craving) and bodily/mental pulls (sleep, laziness, attraction to sense-objects), along with endurance of opposites (cold/heat, rain, fear, grief). Through svādhyāya and dhyāna, guided by buddhi (discernment), the yogin gains direct realization of the subtle Self; however, the tradition acknowledges this path is exceptionally difficult and only rarely completed safely.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira on the disciplines that lead to peace and the highest good. Here he describes the rigorous yogic path—its required conquests and practices—and adds a sober assessment: even learned Brahmanas call it hard to traverse, and only a few succeed.