Shloka 51

Saṃhāra-krama (The Sequence of Cosmic Dissolution) — Yājñavalkya’s Discourse

Devanagari script

यथा कश्रिद्‌ वन॑ घोरं बहुसर्पसरीसूपम्‌ । श्वभ्रवत्‌ तोयहीनं च दुर्गमें बहुकण्टकम्‌

Transliteration

yathā kaścid vanaṁ ghoraṁ bahu-sarpa-sarīsṛpam | śvabhravat toyahīnaṁ ca durgamaṁ bahu-kaṇṭakam ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ଯେପରି ଜଳହୀନ ଖାଇ ପରି, ଅନେକ ସର୍ପ ଓ ସରୀସୃପରେ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ, ଦୁର୍ଗମ ଓ କଣ୍ଟକମୟ ଭୟଙ୍କର ବନକୁ—ଯେଉଁଠାରେ ଆହାର ଦୁର୍ଲଭ, ଭୟ ବହୁ, ଦାବାନଳରେ ଗଛ ଜଳି ଭସ୍ମ ହୋଇଛି ଏବଂ ପଥ ତସ୍କରରେ ଆକୀର୍ଣ୍ଣ—କେବଳ କେହି ବିରଳ ଲୋକ ହିଁ କ୍ଷେମରେ ଅତିକ୍ରମ କରିପାରେ; ସେହିପରି ଯୋଗପଥର ଆଶ୍ରୟ ନେଇ କେବଳ କେହି ବିରଳ ଦ୍ୱିଜ ହିଁ ତାହାରେ କୁଶଳରେ ଚାଲିପାରେ, କାରଣ ସେ ପଥ ଅନେକ ଦୋଷ ଓ କଷ୍ଟରେ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• कश्चित्: someone, a certain (person)
• कश्चित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• घोरम्: terrible, dreadful
• घोरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बहु-सर्प-सरीसृपम्: full of many snakes and creeping creatures
• बहु-सर्प-सरीसृपम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुसर्पसरीसृप
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्वभ्रवत्: like a pit/abyss
• श्वभ्रवत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वभ्रवत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तोय-हीनम्: devoid of water
• तोय-हीनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तोयहीन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• दुर्गमम्: hard to traverse
• दुर्गमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्गम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बहु-कण्टकम्: full of many thorns
• बहु-कण्टकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुकण्टक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• forest (vana)
• snakes (sarpa)
• creeping creatures/reptiles (sarīsṛpa)
• pit/ravine (śvabhra)
• thorns (kaṇṭaka)
• Yoga path (yogamārga) (implied by the prose context)
• twice-born (dvija) (implied by the prose context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the yogic path is intrinsically difficult and perilous—like crossing a deadly, thorny, waterless forest—and therefore only a rare, well-prepared practitioner can proceed safely; it calls for vigilance, endurance, and freedom from common pitfalls.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on higher dharma and spiritual disciplines. Here he uses a vivid simile of a dangerous forest journey to explain why progress on the path of Yoga is uncommon and requires exceptional steadiness.