Shloka 21
Vidura Leaves Hastināpura and Meets Uddhava
Vidura’s Tīrtha-yātrā Begins
तत्राथ शुश्राव सुहृद्विनष्टिं वनं यथा वेणुजवह्निसंश्रयम् । संस्पर्धया दग्धमथानुशोचन् सरस्वतीं प्रत्यगियाय तूष्णीम् ॥ २१ ॥
tatrātha śuśrāva suhṛd-vinaṣṭiṁ vanaṁ yathā veṇuja-vahni-saṁśrayam saṁspardhayā dagdham athānuśocan sarasvatīṁ pratyag iyāya tūṣṇīm
នៅទីសក្ការៈប្រភាស គាត់បានឮថា សាច់ញាតិទាំងអស់បានវិនាសដោយក្តីរំភើបកាចសាហាវ ដូចព្រៃទាំងមូលឆេះដោយភ្លើងកើតពីការខ្ទាស់រវាងឫស្សី។ បន្ទាប់មក គាត់សោកស្តាយ ហើយធ្វើដំណើរទៅទិសលិចដោយស្ងៀមស្ងាត់ ទៅរកទន្លេសរស្វតី។
Both the Kauravas and the Yādavas were relatives of Vidura, and Vidura heard of their extinction due to fratricidal war. The comparison of the friction of forest bamboos to that of passionate human societies is appropriate. The whole world is compared to a forest. At any moment there may be a flare-up of fire in the forest due to friction. No one goes to the forest to set it on fire, but due only to friction between bamboos, fire takes place and burns an entire forest. Similarly, in the greater forest of worldly transaction, the fire of war takes place because of the violent passion of the conditioned souls illusioned by the external energy. Such a worldly fire can be extinguished only by the water of the mercy cloud of saints, just as a forest fire can be extinguished only by rains falling from a cloud.
FAQs
This verse compares internecine rivalry to a bamboo-born forest fire—destruction arising from within—showing how competition and envy can consume even one’s own community.
Hearing of the ruin of his kinsmen and seeing the tragic outcome of their conflict, Vidura withdrew from worldly entanglement and moved toward a sacred place for spiritual absorption.
Avoid escalating ego-based conflicts, recognize how “internal fires” can destroy relationships, and when situations become spiritually toxic, step back and seek sādhana, satsanga, and sacred environments.