Shloka 15
Adhyāya 249 — Mṛtyu-prādurbhāvaḥ (The Manifestation of Death) / Restraint of Tejas and Ordered Saṃhāra
संसारसागरगमां योनिपातालदुस्तराम् | आत्मकर्मोद्धवां तात जिद्नावर्ता दुरासदाम्
saṃsārasāgaragamāṃ yonipātāladustarām | ātmakarmoddhavāṃ tāta jihvāvartāṃ durāsadām ||
Vyāsa berkata: “Wahai yang kukasihi, arus saṃsāra ini bermuara ke samudra saṃsāra; kedalamannya laksana rahim-kelahiran dan alam bawah (pātāla), maka amat sukar diseberangi. Ia lahir dari perbuatan diri sendiri; pusarannya adalah lidah—ketagihan rasa dan kenikmatan—dan mendekatinya pun berbahaya. Hanya dengan pengertian yang disucikan serta penguasaan diri seseorang dapat menyeberang dan mencapai tepi yang aman.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly bondage is self-created through one’s own karma and cravings; sense-driven appetite (symbolized by the tongue) becomes a whirlpool that drags one back into saṃsāra. The remedy implied is purification of intellect, restraint, and disciplined living aimed at liberation.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Vyāsa addresses a listener affectionately (“tāta”) and teaches through a vivid allegory: saṃsāra is a terrifying river leading into the ocean of continued existence, difficult to cross because of inner forces like craving and habit.