Shloka 5
The Forest of Material Existence: Jaḍa Bharata Instructs King Rahūgaṇa
अदृश्यझिल्लीस्वनकर्णशूल उलूकवाग्भिर्व्यथितान्तरात्मा । अपुण्यवृक्षान् श्रयते क्षुधार्दितो मरीचितोयान्यभिधावति क्वचित् ॥ ५ ॥
adṛśya-jhillī-svana-karṇa-śūla ulūka-vāgbhir vyathitāntarātmā apuṇya-vṛkṣān śrayate kṣudhārdito marīci-toyāny abhidhāvati kvacit
Im Wald des Samsara hört die gebundene Seele bisweilen das schrille Zirpen einer unsichtbaren Grille und leidet Ohrenschmerz. Bisweilen wird ihr Inneres durch das Rufen der Eulen gequält, gleich den harten Worten der Feinde. Vom Hunger bedrängt sucht sie Zuflucht bei einem Baum ohne Früchte und Blüten und leidet. Sie begehrt Wasser, doch von einer Fata Morgana getäuscht, läuft sie dem Trugbild nach.
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that the Bhāgavata philosophy is meant for people who are completely free from envy ( paramo nirmatsarāṇām ). The material world is full of envious people. Even within one’s inner circle there is much backbiting, and this is compared to the sound vibration of a cricket in the forest. One cannot see the cricket, but one hears its sounds and thus becomes aggrieved. When one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one always hears unpalatable words from relatives. This is the nature of the world; one cannot avoid mental distress due to the backbiting of envious people. Being very much aggrieved, sometimes one goes to a sinful person for help, but he has no means to help because he has no intelligence. Thus the living entity is disappointed. This is like running after a mirage in the desert in an effort to find water. Such activities do not produce any tangible results. Due to being directed by the illusory energy, a conditioned soul suffers in so many ways.
FAQs
This verse compares worldly hopes to “mirage-water”—the conditioned soul runs after it, but it never truly satisfies, revealing material happiness to be deceptive and temporary.
He is portraying the inner and outer distress of conditioned existence—fear, harsh sounds, and craving—so the listener understands why detachment and God-centered life are necessary.
Notice how chasing promised “fulfillment” (status, consumption, constant stimulation) can be mirage-like; redirect effort toward lasting practices—bhakti, self-discipline, and purposeful association—rather than endless pursuit of temporary relief.