Shloka 203
Saṃsāra-Gahana Allegory: The Brāhmaṇa in the Forest and Well (संसारगहन-आख्यान)
तत्रैव च मनुष्यस्य जीविताशा प्रतिष्ठिता । राजन्! उसे अपने उस संकटपूर्ण जीवनसे वैराग्य नहीं हुआ है। उस मनुष्यके मनमें वहीं उसी दशासे जीवित रहकर मधु पीते रहनेकी आशा जड़ जमाये हुए है
tatraiva ca manuṣyasya jīvitāśā pratiṣṭhitā | rājan!
Even there, in that very condition, a man’s hope of life remains firmly rooted. O King, he does not develop dispassion toward that perilous existence; rather, his mind clings to the same state, still hoping to go on living there and to keep tasting sweetness—seeking pleasure even amid danger.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vidura highlights the tenacity of attachment: even in a dangerous, miserable situation, a person’s craving to continue living and tasting pleasure remains deeply rooted. The ethical lesson is to recognize this clinging and cultivate discernment and dispassion rather than being driven by mere survival-impulse and sensory sweetness.
Vidura addresses the king and reflects on human nature: despite being trapped in a perilous condition, a person does not become detached; instead, hope of life stays fixed, and the mind continues to seek ‘honey’—small pleasures—within the same distressing state.