Shloka 24

Devanagari script

स्नेहेन तिलवत्‌ सर्व सर्गचक्रे निपीड्यते । तिलपीडैरिवाक्रम्य क्लेशैरज्ञानसम्भवै:,तेलीलोग तेलके लिये जैसे तिलोंको कोल्हूमें पेरते हैं, उसी प्रकार स्नेहके कारण सब लोग अज्ञानजनित क्लेशोंद्वारा सृष्टिचक्रमें पिस रहे हैं

Transliteration

snehena tilavat sarva-sarga-cakre nipīḍyate | tila-pīḍair ivākramya kleśair ajñāna-sambhavaiḥ ||

Translation

ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ କହିଲେ—ସ୍ନେହରେ ସମସ୍ତେ ସୃଷ୍ଟିଚକ୍ରରେ ତିଳ ପରି ନିପୀଡ଼ିତ ହୁଅନ୍ତି। ଯେପରି ତେଲ ପାଇଁ ତିଳକୁ ଘାଣିରେ ଚେପାଯାଏ, ସେପରି ଅଜ୍ଞାନଜନିତ କ୍ଲେଶମାନେ ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ଦଳି-ଚେପି ସଂସାରଚକ୍ରରେ ପିସି ଚାଲନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

स्नेहेनby attachment/affection

तिलवत्like sesame (seeds)

सर्वम्all, the whole

सर्गचक्रेin the cycle of creation

निपीड्यतेis pressed/crushed

तिलपीडैःby sesame-pressers (oilmen)

इवas/like

आक्रम्यhaving trodden upon/overpowered

क्लेशैःby afflictions

अज्ञानसम्भवैःarising from ignorance

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

ब्राह्मण (Brāhmaṇa, speaker)

त

तिल (sesame seeds)

त

तिलपीड/कोल्हू (oil-press)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Attachment (sneha) binds beings to the cycle of worldly becoming (sarga-cakra) and makes them vulnerable to afflictions (kleśa) that arise from ignorance (ajñāna). The verse urges cultivating discernment and detachment to avoid being ‘ground down’ by saṃsāra.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brāhmaṇa speaker uses a vivid everyday image—sesame seeds being crushed in an oil-press—to explain how ordinary people, due to attachment, are repeatedly oppressed by ignorance-born sufferings within the ongoing cycle of existence.