Shloka 19

Saṃsāra-Gahana Allegory: The Brāhmaṇa in the Forest and Well (संसारगहन-आख्यान)

Devanagari script

न चास्य तृष्णा विरता पिबमानस्य संकटे

Transliteration

na cāsya tṛṣṇā viratā pibamānasya saṅkaṭe

Translation

Et même tandis qu’il boit encore dans la détresse, sa soif ne s’éteint pas. Le vers souligne que le désir, une fois satisfait, tend à durer—surtout dans l’épreuve—au lieu d’apporter soulagement ou contentement.

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अस्य: of him/its
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• तृष्णा: thirst
• तृष्णा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृष्णा
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• विरता: ceased/stopped
• विरता: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-रम् (धातु: रम्)
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular, past passive participle (क्त)

• पिबमानस्य: of (one) drinking
• पिबमानस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (पिबति)
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular, present active participle (शतृ)

• संकटे: in distress/in difficulty
• संकटे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संकट
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Craving (tṛṣṇā) is not satisfied by indulgence; even in hardship, continuing to 'drink' (pibamāna) only sustains desire. Ethically, the verse warns that self-control and discernment—not repeated gratification—are needed to end suffering rooted in attachment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vidura is speaking in the Strī Parva context of post-war grief and moral reckoning, offering reflective counsel on human failings. This line functions as a pointed observation about how people, under pressure or loss, may cling to compulsions or desires that do not truly alleviate their distress.