Shloka 12
Adhyāya 6: Vidura’s Saṃsāra-Upamā
The Allegory of the Well, Time, and Desire
ये ते मधुकरास्तत्र कामास्ते परिकीर्तिता:,और जो-जो वहाँ मधुमक्खियाँ कही गयी हैं, वे सब कामनाएँ हैं। जो बहुत-सी धाराएँ मधुके झरने झरती रहती हैं, उन्हें कामरस जानना चाहिये, जहाँ सभी मानव डूब जाते हैं
ye te madhukarās tatra kāmās te parikīrtitāḥ | yāś ca bahvyaḥ sravaṇīyo dhārā madhu-sravaṇāḥ satataṃ sravanti tāḥ kāma-rasaṃ vijānīyāt yatra sarve manuṣyā nimajjanti ||
Vidura spricht: „Die dort genannten ‚Bienen‘ sind in Wahrheit die Begierden. Und die vielen Rinnsale, die unablässig Honig träufeln, sind als der süße ‚Saft‘ des Verlangens zu erkennen—ein berauschender Genuss, in dem die Menschen versinken.“
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Desire presents itself as sweetness and abundance, but its ‘honey’ intoxicates and pulls people into attachment; ethical clarity requires recognizing this lure and not being submerged by it.
Vidura is offering reflective counsel using a metaphor: what appear as harmless bees and honeyed streams are actually forms of craving and its pleasures, which overwhelm human judgment and lead to downfall.