Mahabharata 3.2.72 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 2, Shloka 72
ब्राह्मणानुयात्रा—शौनकोपदेशः
Brāhmaṇas Follow into Exile and Śaunaka’s Instruction
ब्रह्मादिषु तृणान्तेषु भूतेषु परिवर्तते । जले भुवि तथा55काशे जायमान: पुन: पुन:,फिर तो ब्रह्मासे लेकर तृणपर्यन्त सभी प्राणियोंमें तथा जल, भूमि और आकाशमें वह मनुष्य बारंबार जन्म लेकर चक्कर लगाता रहता है
brahmādiṣu tṛṇānteṣu bhūteṣu parivartate | jale bhuvi tathākāśe jāyamānaḥ punaḥ punaḥ ||
Sigue girando en el ciclo de la existencia: nace una y otra vez entre los seres, desde Brahmā hasta una simple brizna de hierba, y también en los ámbitos del agua, de la tierra y del cielo.
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches the universality of saṃsāra: without liberation, a being may be born repeatedly across the entire spectrum of existence—from the highest (Brahmā) to the lowest (grass)—and across all realms (water, earth, sky). It functions as an ethical admonition to pursue dharma and liberating knowledge rather than remain bound by karma.
Śaunaka states a general principle about transmigration: the embodied self, driven by karma, continues to wander and be reborn in many forms and environments. The line serves as reflective instruction within the broader discourse, emphasizing the consequences of bondage and the need for a path leading beyond repeated birth.
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