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Shloka 47

Śakra–Namuci-saṃvāda: Śoka-nivāraṇa and Daiva-vicāra

Indra and Namuci on grief, composure, and inevitability

यथोर्णनाभि: परिवर्तमान- स्तन्तुक्षये तिष्ठति पात्यमान: । तथा विमुक्तः प्रजहाति दु:खं विध्वंसते लोष्ट इवाद्रिमृच्छन्‌,जैसे मकड़ी जाला तानकर उसपर चक्कर लगाती रहती है; किंतु उन जालोंका नाश हो जानेपर एक स्थानपर स्थित हो जाती है, उसी प्रकार अविद्याके वशीभूत हो नीचे गिरनेवाला जीव कर्मजालमें पड़कर भटकता रहता है और उससे छूटनेपर दुःखसे रहित हो जाता है। जैसे पर्वतपर फेंका हुआ मिट्टीका ढेला उससे टकराकर चूर-चूर हो जाता है, उसी प्रकार उसके सम्पूर्ण दुःखोंका विध्वंस हो जाता है

yathorṇanābhiḥ parivartamānaḥ tantukṣaye tiṣṭhati pātyamānaḥ | tathā vimuktaḥ prajahāti duḥkhaṃ vidhvaṃsate loṣṭa ivādrimṛcchan ||

Bhīṣma berkata: “Seperti labah-labah, setelah menghamparkan sarangnya, terus bergerak di atasnya; namun apabila benang-benangnya telah habis, ia berhenti di satu tempat. Demikian juga, orang yang telah bebas meninggalkan dukacita. Dan seperti segumpal tanah yang dilempar ke gunung hancur berkecai saat menghentamnya, demikianlah segala penderitaannya musnah sama sekali.”

यथाjust as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
ऊर्णनाभिःa spider
ऊर्णनाभिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootऊर्णनाभि
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
परिवर्तमानःmoving around, revolving
परिवर्तमानः:
TypeVerb
Rootपरि√वृत्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)
स्तन्तुक्षयेwhen the thread/web is exhausted (at the destruction of the threads)
स्तन्तुक्षये:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootतन्तुक्षय
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
तिष्ठतिstands, remains
तिष्ठति:
TypeVerb
Root√स्था
FormPresent, Indicative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
पात्यमानःfalling, being cast down
पात्यमानः:
TypeVerb
Root√पत्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, शानच् (present middle/passive participle)
तथाso, in the same way
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
विमुक्तःfreed, released
विमुक्तः:
TypeVerb
Rootवि√मुच्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)
प्रजहातिabandons, gives up
प्रजहाति:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र√हा
FormPresent, Indicative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
दुःखम्sorrow, suffering
दुःखम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootदुःख
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
विध्वंसतेis destroyed, perishes
विध्वंसते:
TypeVerb
Rootवि√ध्वंस्
FormPresent, Indicative, Third, Singular, Atmanepada
लोष्टःa clod (lump of earth)
लोष्टः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootलोष्ट
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
इवlike, as
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
अद्रिम्a mountain
अद्रिम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअद्रि
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
ऋच्छन्going to, reaching, striking (upon)
ऋच्छन्:
TypeVerb
Root√ऋ (गत्यर्थे)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
S
spider (ūrṇanābhi)
W
web/threads (tantu)
C
clod of earth (loṣṭa)
M
mountain (adri)

Educational Q&A

Bondage is like a self-spun web: the embodied being wanders within the network of actions and their results, but when the supporting ‘threads’ are exhausted and one becomes free, sorrow is abandoned and suffering is crushed completely—like a clod shattered against a mountain.

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on peace, dharma, and the path beyond grief. Here he uses two vivid similes—spider and web, clod and mountain—to describe the transition from karmic wandering to liberation and the consequent annihilation of duḥkha.