Shloka 17
Vidura’s Questions: How the Unchangeable Lord Relates to Māyā; Bhakti as the Remedy; Blueprint for the Coming Cosmology
यश्च मूढतमो लोके यश्च बुद्धे: परं गत: । तावुभौ सुखमेधेते क्लिश्यत्यन्तरितो जन: ॥ १७ ॥
yaś ca mūḍhatamo loke yaś ca buddheḥ paraṁ gataḥ tāv ubhau sukham edhete kliśyaty antarito janaḥ
អ្នកល្ងង់បំផុតក្នុងលោក និងអ្នកដែលលើសលប់ពីបញ្ញាទាំងអស់ដល់ស្ថានភាពអធិឋាន—ទាំងពីររស់នៅដោយសុខ។ តែអ្នកនៅកណ្ដាល ត្រូវមោហៈបាំងបិត ហើយទទួលទុក្ខ។
The lowest of fools do not understand material miseries; they pass their lives merrily and do not inquire into the miseries of life. Such persons are almost on the level of the animals, who, although in the eyes of superiors are always miserable in life, are unaware of material distresses. A hog’s life is degraded in its standard of happiness, which entails living in a filthy place, engaging in sex enjoyment at every opportune moment, and laboring hard in a struggle for existence, but this is unknown to the hog. Similarly, human beings who are unaware of the miseries of material existence and are happy in sex life and hard labor are the lowest of fools. Yet because they have no sense of miseries, they supposedly enjoy so-called happiness. The other class of men, those who are liberated and are situated in the transcendental position above intelligence, are really happy and are called paramahaṁsas. But persons who are neither like hogs and dogs nor on the level of the paramahaṁsas feel the material pangs, and for them inquiry about the Supreme Truth is necessary. The Vedānta-sūtra states, athāto brahma-jijñāsā: “Now one should inquire about Brahman.” This inquiry is necessary for those who are between the paramahaṁsas and the fools who have forgotten the question of self-realization in the midst of life in sense gratification.
FAQs
This verse explains that suffering arises for the person stuck between ignorance and true transcendence—aware enough to be troubled, yet not established beyond material intelligence.
Vidura highlights a paradox to point toward the need for genuine spiritual realization: comfort is found either in ignorance or in transcendence, but the seeker must move beyond partial, conflicted understanding.
Reduce inner conflict by committing to steady sādhana—hearing, chanting, and devotional discipline—so intelligence becomes purified and one moves from anxiety to spiritual clarity.