Shloka 5
Saṃsāra-mārga-vistaraḥ
Vidura’s Expanded Account of the Path
तस्मादध्वानमेवैतमाहु: शास्त्रविदो जना: । यत्तु संसारगहनं वनमाहुर्मनीषिण:,इसीलिये शास्त्रज्ञ पुरुषोंने गर्भवासको मार्गका ही रूपक दिया है और गहन संसारको मनीषी पुरुष वन कहा करते हैं
tasmād adhvānām evaitam āhuḥ śāstravido janāḥ | yat tu saṃsāragahanaṃ vanam āhur manīṣiṇaḥ ||
Therefore, those who know the scriptures describe this very condition as a ‘journey on the road’; and the wise also call the dense entanglement of worldly existence a ‘forest’—hard to traverse and easy to lose one’s way in.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly life (saṃsāra) is portrayed as a difficult terrain: a path that must be traversed and a dense forest in which one can easily become lost. The verse urges vigilance, discernment, and reliance on śāstric wisdom to navigate life ethically.
Vidura is offering reflective counsel in the aftermath of the war, using metaphors to frame human existence as perilous and confusing, thereby guiding listeners toward steadiness, right conduct, and clarity amid grief and upheaval.