11.006
Pancharatra-Ext: The allegory of the serpent, mice, well and wilderness explained.
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच॥
Dhritarashtra said:
अहो खलु महद्दुःखं कृच्छ्रवासं वसत्यसौ। कथं तस्य रतिस्तत्र तुष्टिर्वा वदतां वर ॥११-६-१॥
Ah, indeed, he lives in great suffering and difficult circumstances. How can he find pleasure or satisfaction there, O best of speakers?
स देशः क्व नु यत्रासौ वसते धर्मसङ्कटे। कथं वा स विमुच्येत नरस्तस्मान्महाभयात् ॥११-६-२॥
Where is that country in which he dwells, in the difficulty of dharma? How could a man be freed from that great fear?
एतन्मे सर्वमाचक्ष्व साधु चेष्टामहे तथा। कृपा मे महती जाता तस्याभ्युद्धरणेन हि ॥११-६-३॥
Tell me all this; let us act properly in this matter. Great compassion has arisen in me for him, indeed, by uplifting him.
विदुर उवाच॥
Vidura said:
उपमानमिदं राजन्मोक्षविद्भिरुदाहृतम्। सुगतिं विन्दते येन परलोकेषु मानवः ॥११-६-४॥
O king, this analogy has been given by the knowers of liberation; by following it, a person attains a good path in the next world.
यत्तदुच्यति कान्तारं महत्संसार एव सः। वनं दुर्गं हि यत्त्वेतत्संसारगहनं हि तत् ॥११-६-५॥
What is referred to as a wilderness is truly the vast world of existence. The forest that is said to be difficult to cross is, in fact, this dense forest of worldly life.
ये च ते कथिता व्याला व्याधयस्ते प्रकीर्तिताः। या सा नारी बृहत्काया अधितिष्ठति तत्र वै ॥ तामाहुस्तु जरां प्राज्ञा वर्णरूपविनाशिनीम् ॥११-६-६॥
These serpents and diseases have been described. The wise call that large-bodied woman who presides there as old age, the destroyer of color and form.
यस्तत्र कूपो नृपते स तु देहः शरीरिणाम्। यस्तत्र वसतेऽधस्तान्महाहिः काल एव सः ॥ अन्तकः सर्वभूतानां देहिनां सर्वहार्यसौ ॥११-६-७॥
O king, the well there represents the body of living beings, and the great serpent dwelling below is Time itself. He is the destroyer of all beings, the taker of all embodied forms.
कूपमध्ये च या जाता वल्ली यत्र स मानवः। प्रताने लम्बते सा तु जीविताशा शरीरिणाम् ॥११-६-८॥
In the middle of the well, the creeper that has grown there is what the man hangs onto; that creeper is the hope of life for all living beings.
स यस्तु कूपवीनाहे तं वृक्षं परिसर्पति। षड्वक्त्रः कुञ्जरो राजन्स तु संवत्सरः स्मृतः ॥ मुखानि ऋतवो मासाः पादा द्वादश कीर्तिताः ॥११-६-९॥
O king, the year is described as an elephant with six faces (mouths as seasons), twelve feet (months), moving around the tree in the well and the lute. This is how it is said: (11-6-9)
ये तु वृक्षं निकृन्तन्ति मूषकाः सततोत्थिताः। रात्र्यहानि तु तान्याहुर्भूतानां परिचिन्तकाः ॥ ये ते मधुकरास्तत्र कामास्ते परिकीर्तिताः ॥११-६-१०॥
Those who are always active in cutting down the tree are the mice; they are called the destroyers of beings, night and day. The bees there are said to be desires.
यास्तु ता बहुशो धाराः स्रवन्ति मधुनिस्रवम्। तांस्तु कामरसान्विद्याद्यत्र मज्जन्ति मानवाः ॥११-६-११॥
But know that those many streams which flow with honey-like essence are streams of pleasure, in which humans become immersed.
एवं संसारचक्रस्य परिवृत्तिं स्म ये विदुः। ते वै संसारचक्रस्य पाशांश्छिन्दन्ति वै बुधाः ॥११-६-१२॥
Thus, the wise who truly understand the turning of the wheel of transmigration, indeed cut the bonds of that wheel.
