11.005
Pancharatra and Core: Vidura's allegory on the profound depths of worldly existence.
Dhritarashtra said:
Praise to me for the entire path of intellect, by which this profundity of dharma is comprehended in detail.
Vidura said:
Here, having bowed to Svayambhu, I will tell you as the supreme sages describe the profound depths of worldly existence.
Once, a certain Brahmin living in the vast world entered a dense forest teeming with fierce beasts.
It was surrounded on all sides by extremely terrifying, voracious creatures resembling lions, tigers, and elephants, instilling fear even in death itself.
O scorcher of foes, having seen that, his heart was seized with extreme agitation. Indeed, there was erection of hairs and other changes.
He wandered through that forest, searching everywhere, running here and there, looking in all directions, wondering, 'Where could I find refuge?'
He, searching for a weakness among them and fleeing in fear, does not actually go far nor does he become separated from them.
Then he saw a dreadful forest, surrounded on all sides by nets, and embraced by the arms of a most fearsome woman.
The great forest was surrounded by enormous trees that reached the sky, towering like mountains, and by five-headed serpents.
In the middle of the forest, there was a well, completely concealed by creepers and grass, hidden from view.
The bird fell there into the concealed water-bed and became caught in the dense growth of creepers.
Just as the large jackfruit hangs from its stalk with its feet upwards and head downwards, so too does he hang there.
Then, at that place, yet another trouble arose for him. While drawing water from the well, he saw a huge elephant.
It had six faces, was black-spotted, moved with twelve feet, and crept along in order, surrounded by creepers and trees.
And on his branches, hanging from the tree branches, bees of various kinds, terrible and frightening in appearance, who are inhabitants there, sit having already collected honey.
O best of the Bharatas, beings repeatedly desire sweets, but even a child is not satisfied by them.
Streams of those pleasures flow in many ways at all times. The man, hanging down, always drinks from that stream. Yet, even as he drinks in distress, his thirst never ceases.
He kept desiring her constantly, never satisfied, again and again; and, O king, he never felt any disgust in his life.
Right there, the man's hope for life was established. Black and white mice were gnawing at that tree.
One may encounter destruction by wild beasts in the depths of forest fortresses, by an extremely fierce woman, by falling into a well, by the hand of a serpent, or by a mad or ordinary elephant.
The fifth fear is said to be from falling trees and mice; the sixth, a great fear, is from bees due to greed for honey.
Thus, he remains there, thrown into the ocean of worldly existence, and, still clinging to the hope of life, does not develop dispassion.
