Shloka 8
Saṃsāra-mārga-vistaraḥ
Vidura’s Expanded Account of the Path
क्लिश्यमानाश्ष तैर्नित्यं वार्यमाणाश्षु भारत । स्वकर्मभिर्महाव्यालैनोंद्विजन्त्यल्पबुद्धयः,भरतनन्दन! अपने कर्मरूपी इन महान् हिंसक जन्तुओंसे सदा सताये तथा रोके जानेपर भी मन्दबुद्धि मानव संसारसे उद्विग्न या विरक्त नहीं होते हैं
kliśyamānāś ca tair nityaṁ vāryamāṇāś ca bhārata | svakarmabhir mahāvyālair nodvijanty alpabuddhayaḥ ||
Vidura berkata: “Wahai Bhārata, meski mereka terus-menerus disiksa oleh (derita-derita) itu dan berulang kali ditahan, orang yang dangkal pengertiannya tidak juga jemu terhadap dunia. Bahkan ketika perbuatan mereka sendiri—laksana binatang buas yang besar dan ganas—tanpa henti memburu mereka, mereka tetap tidak merasakan kejijikan sejati ataupun kesadaran untuk terjaga dari putaran hidup duniawi.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vidura teaches that ignorance makes people cling to worldly life even while suffering; one’s own karma becomes the very force that harms and restrains them, yet without discernment they do not develop dispassion or ethical awakening.
In the Stree Parva’s aftermath of the war, Vidura addresses the Kuru elder (Bhārata), offering reflective counsel: he uses a vivid metaphor—karma as ‘great beasts’—to explain why people remain attached to the world despite repeated pain and obstruction.