11.006
Pancharatra-Ext: The allegory of the serpent, mice, well and wilderness explained.
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच॥
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
[धृतराष्ट्र (dhṛtarāṣṭra) - Dhritarashtra; उवाच (uvāca) - said;]
(Dhritarashtra said:)
Dhritarashtra said:
अहो खलु महद्दुःखं कृच्छ्रवासं वसत्यसौ। कथं तस्य रतिस्तत्र तुष्टिर्वा वदतां वर ॥११-६-१॥
aho khalu mahadduḥkhaṃ kṛcchravāsaṃ vasatyasau। kathaṃ tasya ratistatra tuṣṭirvā vadatāṃ vara ॥11-6-1॥
[अहो (aho) - ah; खलु (khalu) - indeed; महद्दुःखं (mahadduḥkhaṃ) - great suffering; कृच्छ्रवासं (kṛcchravāsaṃ) - in difficult dwelling; वसति (vasati) - lives; असौ (asau) - he; कथं (kathaṃ) - how; तस्य (tasya) - his; रतिः (ratiḥ) - pleasure; तत्र (tatra) - there; तुष्टिः (tuṣṭiḥ) - satisfaction; वा (vā) - or; वदतां (vadatāṃ) - of speakers; वर (vara) - best;]
(Ah indeed, great suffering, in difficult dwelling, he lives. How his pleasure there, or satisfaction, O best of speakers?)
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॥
sa deśaḥ kva nu yatrāsau vasate dharmasaṅkaṭe। kathaṃ vā sa vimucyeta naras tasmān mahābhayāt ॥11-6-2॥
[स (sa) - he; देशः (deśaḥ) - country; क्व (kva) - where; नु (nu) - indeed; यत्र (yatra) - where; असौ (asau) - that; वसते (vasate) - dwells; धर्मसङ्कटे (dharmasaṅkaṭe) - in difficulty of dharma; कथं (kathaṃ) - how; वा (vā) - or; स (sa) - he; विमुच्येत (vimucyeta) - could be freed; नरः (naraḥ) - man; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - from that; महाभयात् (mahābhayāt) - from great fear;]
(He, the country, where indeed that one dwells in the difficulty of dharma, how or he could be freed, the man, from that great fear.)
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॥
etan me sarvam ācakṣva sādhu ceṣṭāmahe tathā। kṛpā me mahatī jātā tasyābhyuddharaṇena hi ॥11-6-3॥
[एतत् (etat) - this; मे (me) - to me; सर्वम् (sarvam) - all; आचक्ष्व (ācakṣva) - tell; साधु (sādhu) - well; चेष्टामहे (ceṣṭāmahe) - we act; तथा (tathā) - thus; कृपा (kṛpā) - compassion; मे (me) - in me; महती (mahatī) - great; जाता (jātā) - has arisen; तस्य (tasya) - for him; अभ्युद्धरणेन (abhyuddharaṇena) - by uplifting; हि (hi) - indeed;]
(This all to me tell, well we act thus. Compassion in me great has arisen, for him by uplifting indeed.)
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 uvāca॥
[विदुर (vidura) - Vidura; उवाच (uvāca) - said;]
(Vidura said:)
Vidura said:
उपमानमिदं राजन्मोक्षविद्भिरुदाहृतम्। सुगतिं विन्दते येन परलोकेषु मानवः ॥११-६-४॥
upamānam idaṃ rājan mokṣavidbhir udāhṛtam। sugatiṃ vindate yena paralokeṣu mānavaḥ ॥11-6-4॥
[उपमानम् (upamānam) - analogy; इदं (idaṃ) - this; राजन् (rājan) - O king; मोक्षविद्भिः (mokṣavidbhiḥ) - by those who know liberation; उदाहृतम् (udāhṛtam) - has been stated; सुगतिम् (sugatīm) - good path; विन्दते (vindate) - attains; येन (yena) - by which; परलोकेषु (paralokeṣu) - in other worlds; मानवः (mānavaḥ) - a man;]
(This analogy, O king, has been stated by those who know liberation; by which a man attains a good path in other worlds.)
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॥
yattad ucyati kāntāraṃ mahatsaṃsāra eva saḥ। vanaṃ durgaṃ hi yat t etat saṃsāragahanaṃ hi tat ॥11-6-5॥
[यत् (yat) - which; तत् (tat) - that; उच्यति (ucyati) - is called; कान्तारं (kāntāram) - wilderness; महत् (mahat) - great; संसारः (saṃsāraḥ) - worldly existence; एव (eva) - indeed; सः (saḥ) - he/it; वनं (vanaṃ) - forest; दुर्गं (durgaṃ) - difficult to traverse; हि (hi) - indeed; यत् (yat) - which; एतत् (etat) - this; संसारगहनं (saṃsāragahanaṃ) - the dense forest of worldly existence; हि (hi) - indeed; तत् (tat) - that;]
(That which is called wilderness, that is indeed the great worldly existence. The forest that is difficult to traverse, that is indeed this dense forest of worldly existence.)
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॥
ye ca te kathitā vyālā vyādhayas te prakīrtitāḥ। yā sā nārī bṛhatkāyā adhitiṣṭhati tatra vai ॥ tām āhus tu jarāṃ prājñā varṇarūpavināśinīm ॥11-6-6॥
[ये (ye) - these; च (ca) - and; ते (te) - those; कथिता (kathitā) - spoken; व्याला (vyālā) - serpents; व्याधयः (vyādhayaḥ) - diseases; ते (te) - those; प्रकीर्तिताः (prakīrtitāḥ) - mentioned; या (yā) - who; सा (sā) - that; नारी (nārī) - woman; बृहत्काया (bṛhatkāyā) - large-bodied; अधितिष्ठति (adhitiṣṭhati) - presides; तत्र (tatra) - there; वै (vai) - indeed; ताम् (tām) - her; आहुः (āhuḥ) - they call; तु (tu) - but; जराम् (jarām) - old age; प्राज्ञाः (prājñāḥ) - the wise; वर्णरूपविनाशिनीम् (varṇarūpavināśinīm) - destroyer of color and form;]
(These and those serpents and diseases have been mentioned. That large-bodied woman who presides there, her the wise call old age, the destroyer of color and form.)
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॥
yas tatra kūpo nṛpate sa tu dehaḥ śarīriṇām। yas tatra vasate'dhastān mahāhiḥ kāla eva saḥ ॥ antakaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ dehināṃ sarvahāryasau ॥11-6-7॥
[यः (yaḥ) - who; तत्र (tatra) - there; कूपः (kūpaḥ) - well; नृपते (nṛpate) - O king; सः (saḥ) - he; तु (tu) - but; देहः (dehaḥ) - body; शरीरिणाम् (śarīriṇām) - of embodied beings; यः (yaḥ) - who; तत्र (tatra) - there; वसति (vasati) - dwells; अधस्तात् (adhastāt) - below; महाहिः (mahāhiḥ) - great serpent; कालः (kālaḥ) - Time; एव (eva) - indeed; सः (saḥ) - he; अन्तकः (antakaḥ) - destroyer; सर्वभूतानाम् (sarvabhūtānām) - of all beings; देहिनाम् (dehinām) - of the embodied; सर्वहारि (sarvahāri) - all-destroyer; असौ (asau) - he;]
(He who is the well there, O king, is the body of embodied beings. He who dwells below there, the great serpent, is indeed Time. The destroyer of all beings, of the embodied, he is the all-destroyer.)
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॥
kūpamadhye ca yā jātā vallī yatra sa mānavaḥ। pratāne lambate sā tu jīvitāśā śarīriṇām ॥11-6-8॥
[कूपमध्ये (kūpamadhye) - in the middle of the well; च (ca) - and; या (yā) - which; जाता (jātā) - grown; वल्ली (vallī) - creeper; यत्र (yatra) - where; स (sa) - that; मानवः (mānavaḥ) - man; प्रताने (pratāne) - on the tendril; लम्बते (lambate) - hangs; सा (sā) - that; तु (tu) - but; जीविताशा (jīvitāśā) - hope of life; शरीरिणाम् (śarīriṇām) - of embodied beings;]
(In the middle of the well and the creeper which has grown, where that man hangs on the tendril, that indeed is the hope of life for embodied beings.)
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॥
sa yastu kūpavīnāhe taṃ vṛkṣaṃ parisarpati। ṣaḍvaktraḥ kuñjaro rājans tu saṃvatsaraḥ smṛtaḥ ॥ mukhāni ṛtavo māsāḥ pādā dvādaśa kīrtitāḥ ॥11-6-9॥
[सः (saḥ) - he; यः (yaḥ) - who; तु (tu) - but; कूपवीनाहे (kūpavīnāhe) - in the well and the lute; तं (taṃ) - that; वृक्षं (vṛkṣaṃ) - tree; परिसर्पति (parisarpati) - moves around; षट् (ṣaṭ) - six; वक्त्रः (vaktraḥ) - faces; कुञ्जरः (kuñjaraḥ) - elephant; राजन् (rājan) - O king; तु (tu) - but; संवत्सरः (saṃvatsaraḥ) - year; स्मृतः (smṛtaḥ) - is considered; मुखानि (mukhāni) - mouths; ऋतवः (ṛtavaḥ) - seasons; मासाः (māsāḥ) - months; पादा (pādā) - feet; द्वादश (dvādaśa) - twelve; कीर्तिताः (kīrtitāḥ) - are said; ११-६-९ (11-6-9) - 11-6-9;]
(He who, but, in the well and the lute, that tree moves around. Six faces, the elephant, O king, but, the year is considered. Mouths, seasons, months, feet, twelve, are said: 11-6-9.)
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॥
ye tu vṛkṣaṃ nikṛntanti mūṣakāḥ satatotthitāḥ। rātryahāni tu tānyāhur bhūtānāṃ paricintakāḥ॥ ye te madhukarās tatra kāmās te parikīrtitāḥ॥11-6-10॥
[ये (ye) - who; तु (tu) - but; वृक्षं (vṛkṣam) - tree; निकृन्तन्ति (nikṛntanti) - cut down; मूषकाः (mūṣakāḥ) - mice; सतत (satata) - always; उत्थिताः (utthitāḥ) - active; रात्रि (rātri) - night; अहानि (ahāni) - and day; तु (tu) - but; तानि (tāni) - those; आहुः (āhuḥ) - are called; भूतानां (bhūtānām) - of beings; परिचिन्तकाः (paricintakāḥ) - destroyers; ये (ye) - who; ते (te) - they; मधुकराः (madhukarāḥ) - bees; तत्र (tatra) - there; कामाः (kāmāḥ) - desires; ते (te) - they; परिकीर्तिताः (parikīrtitāḥ) - are described;]
(Who but the mice, always active, cut down the tree. Night and day, those are called the destroyers of beings. Who, they, the bees there, desires, they are described.)
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॥
yāstu tā bahuśo dhārāḥ sravanti madhunisravam। tāṃstu kāmarasānvidyādyatra majjanti mānavāḥ ॥11-6-11॥
[याः (yāḥ) - which; तु (tu) - but; ता (tā) - those; बहुशः (bahuśaḥ) - in many ways; धाराः (dhārāḥ) - streams; स्रवन्ति (sravanti) - flow; मधुनिस्रवम् (madhunisravam) - with honey-like essence; ताः (tāḥ) - those; तु (tu) - but; कामरसान् (kāmarasān) - pleasure-essences; विद्यात् (vidyāt) - one should know; यत्र (yatra) - where; मज्जन्ति (majjanti) - drown; मानवाः (mānavāḥ) - humans;]
(But those streams which flow in many ways with honey-like essence, one should know those as streams of pleasure-essences, where humans drown.)
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॥
evaṃ saṃsāracakrasya parivṛttiṃ sma ye viduḥ। te vai saṃsāracakrasya pāśāṃś chindanti vai budhāḥ ॥11-6-12॥
[एवं (evaṃ) - thus; संसारचक्रस्य (saṃsāracakrasya) - of the wheel of transmigration; परिवृत्तिं (parivṛttiṃ) - the turning; स्म (sma) - indeed; ये (ye) - who; विदुः (viduḥ) - know; ते (te) - they; वै (vai) - indeed; संसारचक्रस्य (saṃsāracakrasya) - of the wheel of transmigration; पाशान् (pāśān) - the bonds; छिन्दन्ति (chindanti) - cut; वै (vai) - indeed; बुधाः (budhāḥ) - the wise;]
(Thus, those who indeed know the turning of the wheel of transmigration, they indeed cut the bonds of the wheel of transmigration, the wise.)
Thus, the wise who truly understand the turning of the wheel of transmigration, indeed cut the bonds of that wheel.
