Shloka 37

ब्राह्मणानुयात्रा—शौनकोपदेशः

Brāhmaṇas Follow into Exile and Śaunaka’s Instruction

Devanagari script

अनाइम्ता तु सा तृष्णा अन्तर्देहगता नृणाम्‌ विनाशयति भूतानि अयोनिज इवानल:,“यह तृष्णा यद्यपि मनुष्योंके शरीरके भीतर ही रहती है, तो भी इसका कहीं आदि- अन्त नहीं है। लोहेके पिण्डकी आगके समान यह तृष्णा प्राणियोंका विनाश कर देती है

Transliteration

anādimatā tu sā tṛṣṇā antardeha-gatā nṛṇām vināśayati bhūtāni ayonija ivānalaḥ

Translation

Waiśampāyana berkata— Hasrat itu, meski bersemayam di dalam tubuh manusia, tiada berawal. Laksana api yang menyala tanpa sumber, ia melalap makhluk hidup dan menjerumuskan mereka ke dalam kebinasaan.

Word by Word

अनादिमत्ताbeginninglessness (having no beginning)

तुbut/indeed

साthat (she/it)

तृष्णाcraving, thirst (desire)

अन्तर्देहगताgone/located inside the body

नृणाम्of men/people

विनाशयतिdestroys

भूतानिbeings, creatures

अयोनिजःnot womb-born (self-born)

इवlike, as

अनलःfire

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

tṛṣṇā (craving)

anala (fire)

deha (body)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Insatiable craving is beginningless and, though internal, behaves like a consuming fire; unchecked desire leads to the destruction of one’s well-being and moral stability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana characterizes tṛṣṇā (craving) through a vivid simile—fire arising without a clear source—to explain how desire, dwelling within people, relentlessly consumes and ruins living beings.