उपनिषद् · Varāha 4.39
॥
देवनागरी
यमाद्यासनजायासहठाभ्यासात्पुनःपुनः । विघ्नबाहुल्यसञ्जात अणिमादिवशादिह
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
yamādyāsanajāyāsahaṭhābhyāsātpunaḥpunaḥ | vighnabāhulyasañjāta aṇimādivaśādiha
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
यम-आदि-आसन-जायास-yama-ādi-āsana-jāyāsa-by the strain of yamas, asanas, and the rest
हठ-अभ्यासात् पुनः पुनःhaṭha-abhyāsāt punaḥ punaḥby the practice of hatha, again and again
विघ्न-बाहुल्य-सञ्जातःvighna-bāhulya-sañjātaḥborn of a multitude of obstacles
अणिमा-आदि-वशात् इहaṇimā-ādi-vaśāt ihaby reason of animan and the rest, here
अनुवाद
"By the strain of yamas, asanas, and the rest, by the practice of hatha, again and again, — [the yogi,] born of a multitude of obstacles, by reason of animan and the other [perfections] here…"
संस्करण
9667527f0aea · प्रकाशित 12 अग॰ 2026, 5:00:00 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
The ant's path is described with its difficulties, and the frankness of the description deserves noting. It says: strain, repetition, vighna-bahulya, "a multitude of obstacles," and perfections as a trap. Of perfections as nets, discussed when reading the third chapter (3.26); there is no need to repeat it.
Let us add what deserves saying of the word hatha itself, for it stands here. Hatha means "force, violence, insistence"; and hatha-yoga is literally "yoga by force." That is, the very name of the craft contains an admission: the work is done against nature, by force.
The Vaishnava side points this out, and sets against it its own name: its path is called raganuga, "following the inclination," discussed when reading the Jabala-darshana (4.9). The difference of names is a difference of designs: one goes against inclination, the other with it, having changed its object. Let us add what it says of the difficulties, and which forms its usual argument.
A path requiring constant force against oneself holds only as long as strength lasts, and hence bears illness, old age, and misfortune poorly. Its own means — hearing, singing, remembrance — requires neither body nor health; and hence its books are full of stories of how it is accessible to the old, the sick, the child, and the dying. Of Ajamila, who uttered the Name in his deathbed delirium, discussed when reading the Gopala-tapani; and this story is the direct opposite of the description here.