Shloka 14

Saṃsāra-mārga-vistaraḥ

Vidura’s Expanded Account of the Path

Devanagari script

तेषां हयानां यो वेगं धावतामनुधावति । स तु संसारचक्रे5स्मिं श्रक्रवत्‌ परिवर्तते

Transliteration

teṣāṃ hayānāṃ yo vegaṃ dhāvatām anudhāvati | sa tu saṃsāracakre 'smiṃ śakra-vat parivartate ||

Translation

Vidura said: “Whoever runs after the rushing speed of those horses—chasing them as they gallop—he keeps turning round and round in this wheel of worldly existence, like Śakra himself.”

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of those
• तेषाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, plural

• हयानाम्: of the horses
• हयानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: masculine, genitive, plural

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• वेगम्: speed, momentum
• वेगम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• धावताम्: of (those) running
• धावताम्: Sambandha
• Type: Verb
• Root: धाव्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), masculine/neuter, genitive, plural

• अनुधावति: runs after, follows in running
• अनुधावति: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-धाव्
• Form: present, third, singular, parasmaipada

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• तु: but, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• संसारचक्रे: in the wheel/cycle of transmigration
• संसारचक्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसारचक्र
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: masculine/neuter, locative, singular

• शक्रवत्: like Śakra (Indra)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शक्रवत्

• परिवर्तते: turns around, revolves
• परिवर्तते: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-वृत्
• Form: present, third, singular, ātmanepada

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• haya (horses)
• saṃsāra-cakra (wheel of worldly existence)
• Śakra (Indra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Chasing after restless impulses and external momentum (symbolized by galloping horses) traps a person in repetitive worldly cycles; wisdom lies in restraint and not being dragged by speed, desire, or agitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vidura is offering moral counsel in the aftermath of the war’s devastation, using a vivid metaphor: one who keeps pursuing the rushing ‘horses’ of worldly drive continues to revolve in saṃsāra, compared to Śakra’s ceaseless turning in the cosmic order.