Shloka 12
Adhyāya 6: Vidura’s Saṃsāra-Upamā
The Allegory of the Well, Time, and Desire
ये ते मधुकरास्तत्र कामास्ते परिकीर्तिता:,और जो-जो वहाँ मधुमक्खियाँ कही गयी हैं, वे सब कामनाएँ हैं। जो बहुत-सी धाराएँ मधुके झरने झरती रहती हैं, उन्हें कामरस जानना चाहिये, जहाँ सभी मानव डूब जाते हैं
ye te madhukarās tatra kāmās te parikīrtitāḥ | yāś ca bahvyaḥ sravaṇīyo dhārā madhu-sravaṇāḥ satataṃ sravanti tāḥ kāma-rasaṃ vijānīyāt yatra sarve manuṣyā nimajjanti ||
അവിടെ ‘മധുകരങ്ങൾ’ (തേനീച്ചകൾ) എന്നു പറയപ്പെട്ടവ—അവ തന്നെയാണ് കാമങ്ങൾ എന്നു കീര്ത്തിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Desire presents itself as sweetness and abundance, but its ‘honey’ intoxicates and pulls people into attachment; ethical clarity requires recognizing this lure and not being submerged by it.
Vidura is offering reflective counsel using a metaphor: what appear as harmless bees and honeyed streams are actually forms of craving and its pleasures, which overwhelm human judgment and lead to downfall.