Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

तदेव च महास्रोतो विष्टम्भयति वारण: । तद्धद्‌ योगबलं लब्ध्वा व्यूहते विषयान्‌ बहून्‌

Transliteration

tadeva ca mahāsroto viṣṭambhayati vāraṇaḥ | taddhād yogabalaṃ labdhvā vyūhate viṣayān bahūn |

Translation

Ngunit kung paanong ang elepante ay kayang humarang kahit sa malakas na agos at pigilan itong umagos, gayon din, kapag natamo ng yogin ang dakilang lakas na isinilang ng yoga, pinipigil niya ang napakaraming bagay ng pandama at hindi nadadala ng kanilang agos.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (it)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

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

• महास्रोतः: the great stream/current
• महास्रोतः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महास्रोतस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विष्टम्भयति: blocks/stops (causes to be checked)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तम्भ्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada, Active, 10 (causative)

• वारणः: an elephant
• वारणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that (it)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ह: indeed/for emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

• योगबलम्: the power of yoga
• योगबलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगबल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ्
• Form: Absolutive (त्वा), Active

• व्यूहते: arrays/keeps at bay/holds off
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यूह्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada, Middle

• विषयान्: sense-objects
• विषयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• बहून्: many
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• vāraṇa (elephant)
• mahāsrotaḥ (great stream/current)
• yogin (practitioner of yoga)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True mastery is not merely avoiding objects but gaining yogic strength that can check the powerful ‘current’ of sense-impulses; the disciplined mind does not flow outward into pleasures.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma continues his instruction on dharma and inner discipline, using a vivid simile: as an elephant can obstruct a strong river-current, so a yogin, empowered by yoga, restrains numerous sense-objects and their pull.