Vidyā–Avidyā and the Twenty-Fifth Principle
Sāṃkhya–Yoga Clarification
तात! तपस्यामें सभीका अधिकार है। जितेन्द्रिय और मनोनिग्रहसम्पन्न हीन वर्णके लिये भी तपका विधान है; क्योंकि तप पुरुषको स्वर्गकी राहपर लानेवाला है ।।
tāta! tapasyāṁ sarveṣām adhikāraḥ. jitendriya-manonigraha-sampannasya hīna-varṇasya api tapasāṁ vidhānam; yataḥ tapaḥ puruṣaṁ svargasya mārgam ānayati. prajāpatiḥ prajāḥ pūrvam asṛjat tapasā vibhuḥ. kvacit kvacid brahma-paraḥ vratāny āsthāya, pārthiva-bhūpāla! pūrva-kāle śaktimān prajāpatiḥ tapasi sthitvā ca kadācid brahma-parāyaṇa-vrate sthitvā ca jagat-sṛṣṭim akarot.
ତାତ! ତପସ୍ୟାରେ ସମସ୍ତଙ୍କର ଅଧିକାର ଅଛି। ଜିତେନ୍ଦ୍ରିୟ ଓ ମନୋନିଗ୍ରହସମ୍ପନ୍ନ ହେଲେ ହୀନବର୍ଣ୍ଣ ପାଇଁ ମଧ୍ୟ ତପର ବିଧାନ ଅଛି; କାରଣ ତପ ମନୁଷ୍ୟକୁ ସ୍ୱର୍ଗମାର୍ଗରେ ଆଣେ। ଭୂପାଳ! ପୂର୍ବକାଳରେ ବିଭୁ ପ୍ରଜାପତି ତପରେ ଅବସ୍ଥିତ ହୋଇ, ଏବଂ କେବେ କେବେ ବ୍ରହ୍ମପରାୟଣ ବ୍ରତ ଆଶ୍ରୟ କରି, ପ୍ରଜାସୃଷ୍ଟି କରିଥିଲେ।
पराशर उवाच
Tapas is a universally available discipline: anyone who cultivates sense-control and mental restraint is eligible for austerity, and such tapas is presented as a means of spiritual uplift (symbolized as the path to heaven).
Parāśara instructs a king, arguing for the broad accessibility of ascetic practice and supporting it with a cosmological example: Prajāpati himself created beings by abiding in tapas and by undertaking Brahman-oriented vows.