Shloka 4
अन्तर्वन-विद्यारण्योपमा
The Allegory of the Inner Forest of Knowledge
ब्राह्मण उवाच नैतदस्ति पृथग्भाव: किंचिदन््यत् ततः सुखम् | नैतदस्त्यपृथग्भाव: किंचिद् दुःखतरं ततः
brāhmaṇa uvāca: naitad asti pṛthagbhāvaḥ kiṃcid anyat tataḥ sukham | naitad asty apṛthagbhāvaḥ kiṃcid duḥkhataraṃ tataḥ ||
ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ କହିଲେ—ପ୍ରିୟେ! ସେ ବନରେ ପୃଥକ୍-ଭାବ ନାହିଁ; ତାହାଠାରୁ ପରେ ଅନ୍ୟ କୌଣସି ସୁଖ ମଧ୍ୟ ନାହିଁ। ଏବଂ ସେଠାରେ ଅପୃଥକ୍-ଭାବ ମଧ୍ୟ ନାହିଁ; ତାହାଠାରୁ ଅଧିକ ଦୁଃଖ ମଧ୍ୟ ନାହିଁ। (ଏହା ଦ୍ୱନ୍ଦ୍ୱାତୀତ; ସେଠାରେ ଲୌକିକ ସୁଖ-ଦୁଃଖ ଲାଗୁ ହୁଏ ନାହିଁ।)
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse critiques taking either ‘difference’ (pṛthagbhāva) or ‘non-difference’ (apṛthagbhāva) as the final truth. It gestures toward a reality beyond conceptual extremes, where ordinary categories—and thus worldly pleasure and pain—lose their hold.
A Brahmin speaker is instructing his listener in a reflective, philosophical mode, using paired opposites (difference/non-difference; happiness/suffering) to point toward a transcendent state that cannot be captured by common metaphysical labels.