Mahabharata — Vana Parva, Shloka 108
Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)
बीजानि हाग्निदग्धानि न रोहन्ति पुनर्यथा । ज्ञानदग्धैस्तथा क्लेशैरनत्मा संयुज्यते पुन:
bījāni hāgnidagdhāni na rohanti punar yathā | jñānadagdhais tathā kleśair anātmā saṁyujyate punaḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «De même que des graines brûlées par le feu ne germent plus, ainsi, lorsque les afflictions — telle l’ignorance — ont été consumées par la connaissance véritable, le non‑Soi (l’assemblage corps‑esprit) ne s’y conjoint plus. Là se tient la promesse éthique de la délivrance : la connaissance tranche la racine de la souffrance afin que l’asservissement ne revienne pas.»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that genuine knowledge eradicates the very seed of affliction (ignorance and its derivatives). When the root-causes are destroyed, suffering and bondage do not reappear—like fire-burnt seeds that can no longer germinate.
In the Vana Parva’s discourse setting, Yudhiṣṭhira speaks in a reflective, philosophical mode, using a vivid metaphor to explain how inner transformation through knowledge prevents the return of mental afflictions and the cycle of renewed bondage.
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