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Shloka 14

Sanatsujāta-Āhvāna (Summoning Sanatsujāta) — Vidura’s Invocation and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Doubt

तमो<प्रकाशो भूतानां नरको<यं प्रदृश्यते । मुहान्त इव धावन्ति गच्छन्त: श्वभ्रवत्‌ सुखम्‌

tamo 'prakāśo bhūtānāṁ narako 'yaṁ pradṛśyate | muhānta iva dhāvanti gacchantaḥ śvabhravat sukham |

কাম সকল প্রাণীর জন্য মোহজনক; তাই তা আলোকহীন অন্ধকারস্বরূপ এবং দুঃখদানে নরকের ন্যায় প্রতীয়মান। যেমন মদে মাতাল লোক বিভ্রান্ত হয়ে হাঁটতে হাঁটতে দৌড়ে গিয়ে গর্তে পড়ে, তেমনি কামাসক্তেরা বিষয়কে সুখ ভেবে তার দিকে ছুটে যায়—এবং অনর্থে পতিত হয়।

तमःdarkness
तमः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootतमस्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
अप्रकाशःnon-illumination, lack of light
अप्रकाशः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअप्रकाश
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
भूतानाम्of beings
भूतानाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootभूत
FormNeuter, Genitive, Plural
नरकःhell
नरकः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनरक
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अयम्this
अयम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
प्रदृश्यतेis seen, appears
प्रदृश्यते:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootप्र+दृश्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Atmanepada, Passive/Reflexive (middle usage)
मुह्यन्तिthey become deluded
मुह्यन्ति:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootमुह्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
इवas if, like
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
धावन्तिthey run
धावन्ति:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootधाव्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
गच्छन्तःgoing, while going
गच्छन्तः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootगम्
FormPresent active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Plural
श्वभ्रवत्like a pit/chasm
श्वभ्रवत्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootश्वभ्रवत्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
सुखम्pleasure, happiness
सुखम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसुख
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular

सनत्युजात उवाच

S
Sanatsujāta
K
kāma (desire)
N
naraka (hell)
Ś
śvabhra (pit/chasm)

Educational Q&A

Desire (kāma) clouds discernment like darkness (tamas) and leads beings toward suffering; what appears as pleasure can be a trap, so one should cultivate clarity and self-restraint rather than chase sense-objects blindly.

In the Sanatsujātīya section of Udyoga Parva, the sage Sanatsujāta instructs (in a didactic dialogue) on inner causes of downfall; here he illustrates how craving misleads people into running toward harmful ends, like an intoxicated person stumbling into a pit.