Shloka 20
Vyāsa’s Counsel to the Concealed Pāṇḍavas; Śaṃkara’s Boon and the Predestination of Draupadī
Chapter 157
ब्राह्मण उवाच धिगिदं जीवितं लोके गतसारमनर्थकम् | दुःखमूलं पराधीनं भृशमप्रियभागि च,ब्राह्मणदेवता कह रहे थे--जगत्के इस जीवनको धिक्कार है; क्योंकि यह सारहीन, निरर्थक, दुःखकी जड़, पराधीन और अत्यन्त अप्रियका भागी है
brāhmaṇa uvāca dhig idaṃ jīvitaṃ loke gatasāram anarthakam | duḥkhamūlaṃ parādhīnaṃ bhṛśam apriyabhāgi ca ||
Dijo el brahmán: «¡Maldita sea esta vida en el mundo! Su esencia se ha consumido y resulta inútil. Es raíz del sufrimiento, depende de otros y participa de lo profundamente desagradable».
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse voices vairāgya (dispassion): worldly life, when seen as lacking lasting essence, becomes a source of suffering because it is unstable and often dependent on external conditions and other people. The ethical thrust is to seek a higher, meaningful aim (dharma and inner freedom) rather than mere worldly continuance.
A Brahmin character is speaking in a tone of condemnation and lament, reflecting on the burdens of worldly existence. This functions as a reflective pause in the story, highlighting the psychological and moral pressure that leads characters to question ordinary life and turn toward dharma or renunciatory insight.