"Yudhishthira said, 'Thou hast said, O grandsire, the Emancipation is to
be won by means and not otherwise. I desire to hear duly what those means
are.'

"Bhishma said, 'O thou of great wisdom, this enquiry that thou hast
addressed to me and that is connected with a subtle topic, is really
worthy of thee, since thou, O sinless one, always seekest to accomplish
all thy objects by the application of means. That state of mind which is
present when one sets oneself to make an earthen jar for one's use,
disappears after the jar has been completed. After the same manner, that
cause which urges persons who regard virtue as the root of advancement
and prosperity ceases to operate with them that seek to achieve
Emancipation.By dharma here is meant nishkama dharma, for the fruits of sakama dharma are not eternal, heaven like all things else having an end. That path which leads to the Eastern Ocean is not the
path by which one can go to the Western Ocean. There is only one path
that leads to Emancipation. (It is not identical with any of those that
lead to arty other object of acquisition). Listen to me as I discourse on
it to thee in detail. One should, by practising forgiveness, exterminate
wrath, and by abandoning—all purposes, root out desire. By practising
the quality of SattwaWhat is said in this verse is this: when a man wants an earthen jar, he works for creating one. When he has got one, he no longer finds himself in the same state of mind, his want having been satisfied. Similarly, with men desirous of heaven and earthly prosperity as the reward of virtue, the means is Pravritti or acts. This or these cease to operate with those who having acquired such virtue set themselves for the achievement of Emancipation, for with them the religion of Nivritti is all in all. one should conquer sleep. By heedfulness one
should keep off fear, and by contemplation of the Soul one should conquer
breath.i.e., by abandoning all kinds of idleness, as explained by the commentator. Desire, aversion, and lust, one should dispel by patience;
error, ignorance, and doubt, by study of truth. By pursuit after
knowledge one should avoid insouciance and inquiry after things of no
interest.i.e., by Yoga-meditation one should regulate and finally suspend one's breath. The Yogin can suspend all physical functions and yet live on from age to age. By frugal and easily digestible fare one should drive off
all disorders and diseases. By contentment one should dispel greed and
stupefaction of judgment, and all worldly concerns should be avoided by a
knowledge of the truth.Nidra here is explained as ananusandhana or the absence of inquisitiveness or curiosity. By pratibha is meant inquiry after improper things or things that are of no interest. By practising benevolence one should
conquer iniquity, and by regard for all creatures one should acquire
virtue. One should avoid expectation by the reflection that it is
concerned with the future; and one should cast off wealth by abandoning
desire itself. The man of intelligence should abandon affection by
recollecting that everything (here) is transitory. He should subdue
hunger by practising Yoga. By practising benevolence one should keep off
all ideas of self-importance, and drive off all sorts of craving by
adopting contentment. By exertion one should subdue procrastination, and
by certainty all kinds of doubt, by taciturnity, loquaciousness, and by
courage, every kind of fear.The truth is that the world is unreal and has no end. Speech and mind are to be subdued by
the Understanding, and the Understanding, in its turn, is to be kept
under control by the eye of knowledge. Knowledge, again, is to be
controlled by acquaintance with the Soul, and finally the Soul is to be
controlled by the Soul.Hunger is to be subdued by Yoga, i.e., by regulating the wind within the body. Doubt is to be dispelled by certainty; this implies that certain knowledge should be sought for by driving off doubt. The commentator thinks that this means that all sceptical conclusions should be dispelled by faith in the scriptures. By 'fear,' in this verse, is meant the source of fear, or the world. That is to be conquered by the conquest of the six, i.e., desire, wrath, covetousness, error, pride, and envy. This last is attainable by those that are
of pure-acts and endued with tranquillity of soul,What is laid down here is the same course of training that is indicated for Yoga. First, the senses are to be merged into the mind, then the mind is to be merged into the Understanding, then the Understanding is to be merged into the Soul or what is known as the Ego. This Ego is to be merged at last into the Supreme Soul. When the Ego is understood, it comes to be viewed as Brahma. the means being
the subjugation of those five impediments of Yoga of which the learned
speak. By casting off desire and wrath and covetousness and fear and
sleep, one should, restraining speech, practise what is favourable to
Yoga, viz., contemplation, study, gift, truth, modesty, candour,
forgiveness, purity of heart, purity in respect of food, and the
subjugation of the senses. By these one's energy is increased, sins are
dispelled, wishes crowned with fruition, and knowledge (of diverse kinds)
gained. When one becomes cleansed of one's sins and possessed of energy
and frugal of fare and the master of one's senses, one then, having
conquered both desire and wrath, seeks to attain to Brahma. The avoidance
of ignorance (by listening to and studying the scriptures), the absence
of attachment (in consequence of Renunciation) freedom from desire and
wrath (by adoption of contentment and forgiveness), the puissance that is
won by Yoga, the absence of pride and haughtiness, freedom from anxiety
(by subjugation of every kind of fear), absence of attachment of anything
like home and family,—these constitute the path of Emancipation. That
path is delightful, stainless, and pure. Similarly, the restraining of
speech, of body, and of mind, when practised from the absence of desire,
constitutes also the path of Emancipation.'"'Pure acts' are, of course, those that are included in 'Nishkama dharmah,' and 'tranquillity of soul' is the cleansing of the soul by driving away all passions and desires.