Mahabharata · Book 11 · Stri Parva
Mahabharata, Book 11, Section VIस्त्रीपर्व
Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 11.6.
Sanskrit
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच।
अहो खलु महद्दुःखं कृच्छ्रवासं वसत्यसौ।
कथं तस्य रतिस्तत्र तुष्टिर्वा वदतां वर।।
स देशः क्वनु यत्रासौ वसते धर्मसङ्कटे।
कथं वा स विमुच्येत नरस्तस्मान्महाभयात्।।
एतन्मे सर्वमाचक्ष्व साधु चेष्टामहे तदा।
कृपा मे महती जाता तस्याभ्युद्धरणेन हि।।
विदुर उवाच।
उपाख्यानमिदं राजन्मोक्षविद्भिरुदाहृतम्।
सुगतिं विन्दते येन परलोकेषु मानवः।।
उच्यते यत्तु कान्तारं महासंसार एव सः।
वनं दुर्गं हि यच्चैतत्संसारगहनं हि तत्।।
ये च ते कथिता व्याला व्याधयस्ते प्रकीर्तिताः।।
या सा नारी बृहत्काया अध्यतिष्ठत तत्र वै।
तामाहुस्तु जरां प्राज्ञा रूपवर्णविनाशिनीम्।।
स यस्तु कूपो नृपते स तु देहः शरीरिणाम्।
यस्तत्र वसतेऽधस्तान्महाहिः काल एव सः।
अन्तकः सर्वभूतानां देहिनां प्राणाहार्यसौ।।
कूपमध्ये च या जाता वल्ली यत्र स मानवः।
प्रोतो ययाऽभवल्लग्नो जीविताशा शरीरिणाम्।।
स यस्तु कूपपीनाहे तं वृक्षं परिसर्पति।
षड्वक्त्रः कुञ्जरो राजन्स तु संवत्सरः स्मृतः।।
मुखानि ऋतवो मासाः पादा द्वादशा कीर्तिताः।
ये तु वृंक्षं निकृन्तन्ति मूषिकाः पन्नगास्तथा।।
रात्र्यहानि तु तान्याहुर्भूतानां परिचिन्तकाः।
ये ते मधुकरास्तत्र कामास्ते परिकीर्तिताः।।
यास्तु ता बहुशो धाराः स्रवन्ति मधुनिस्रवम्।
तांस्तु कामरसान्विन्द्याद्यत्र सज्जन्ति मानवाः।।
एवं संसारचक्रस्य परिवृत्तिं विदुर्बुधाः।
येन संसारचक्रस्य पाशांश्छिन्दन्ति सर्वथा।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते स्त्रीपर्वणि
जलप्रदानिकपर्वणि पञ्चमोऽध्यायः।। 5 ।।
उपमानमिदं राजन्निति झ.पाठः।।
षष्ठोऽध्यायः।।
वर्गः:महाभारतम्/स्त्रीपर्व
English Ganguli
6
"Dhritarashtra said, 'Alas, great was the distress of that person and very painful his mode of life! Tell me, O first of speakers, whence was his attachment to life and whence his happiness? Where is that region, so unfavourable to the practice of virtue, in which that person resides? Oh, tell me how will that man be freed from all those great terrors? Tell me all this! We shall then exert ourselves properly for him. My compassion has been greatly moved by the difficulties that lie in the way of his rescue!'
"Vidura said, 'They that are conversant, O monarch, with the religion of moksha cite this as a simile. Understanding this properly, a person may attain to bliss in the regions hereafter. That which is described as the wilderness is the great world. The inaccessible forest within it is the limited sphere of one's own life. Those that have been mentioned as beasts of prey are the diseases (to which we are subject). That woman of gigantic proportions residing in the forest is identified by the wise with Decrepitude which destroys complexion and beauty. That which has been spoken of as the pit is the body or physical frame of embodied creatures. The huge snake dwelling in the bottom of that pit is time, the destroyer of all embodied creatures. It is, indeed, the universal destroyer. The cluster of creepers growing in that pit and attached to whose spreading stems the man hangeth down is the desire for life which is cherished by every creature. The six-faced elephant, O king, which proceeds towards the tree standing at the mouth of the pit is spoken of as the year. Its six faces are the seasons and its twelve feet are the twelve months. The rats and the snakes that are cutting off the tree are said to be days and nights that are continually lessening the periods of life of all creatures. Those that have been described as bees are our desires. The numerous jets that are dropping honey are the pleasures derived from the gratification of our desires and to which men are seen to be strongly addicted. The wise know life's course to be even such. Through that knowledge they succeed in tearing off its bonds.'"