Shloka 12
Saṃsāra-Gahana Allegory: The Brāhmaṇa in the Forest and Well (संसारगहन-आख्यान)
विलग्नश्लाभवत् तस्मिन् लतासंतानसंकुले । वह ब्राह्मण उस छिपे हुए कुएँमें गिर पड़ा; परंतु लतावेलोंसे व्याप्त होनेके कारण वह उसमें फँसकर नीचे नहीं गिरा, ऊपर ही लटका रह गया | ११ $ ।। पनसस्य यथा जात॑ वृन्तबद्धं महाफलम्
vilagnaślābhavat tasmin latā-santāna-saṅkule | sa brāhmaṇaḥ saṃchanna-kūpe nipapāta; latā-vallībhir āvṛtatvāt tatraiva vilagno nādhastān nipapāta, ūrdhvaṃ lambamānaḥ sthitaḥ || panasasya yathā jātaṃ vṛnta-baddhaṃ mahāphalam ||
Vidura dit : Dans ce puits, encombré d’un enchevêtrement de lianes, le brāhmane tomba dans une fosse cachée. Mais comme l’ouverture et les parois étaient envahies de plantes grimpantes, il ne s’abîma pas jusqu’au fond ; pris dans leurs nœuds, il demeura suspendu au-dessus—tel un gros fruit du jacquier, né et pendu par son pédoncule. L’image souligne qu’un homme peut être retenu dans le péril par les attachements mêmes qui semblent le soutenir : ni anéanti, ni réellement en sûreté.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a vivid simile to show how one can be caught in danger yet not fully fall—suggesting the precarious condition of a person sustained by attachments that also entangle him. It points to the ethical need for discernment and detachment: what seems like support may also be bondage.
In Vidura’s allegorical narration, a brāhmaṇa falls into a concealed well. Because the well is overgrown with creepers, he becomes snagged and remains hanging rather than dropping to the bottom, compared to a large jackfruit hanging by its stalk.