Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तत्रापश्याम वै सर्वे मधु पीतकमाक्षिकम्‌ । मरुप्रपाते विषमे निविष्टं कुम्भसम्मितम्‌,वहाँ हम सब लोगोंने देखा, पर्वतकी एक दुर्गम गुफामें जहाँसे कोई कूल-किनारा न होनेके कारण गिरनेकी ही अधिक सम्भावना रहती है, एक मधुकोष है। वह मक्खियोंका तैयार किया हुआ नहीं था। उसका रंग सुवर्णके समान पीला था और वह देखनेमें घड़ेके समान जान पड़ता था

Transliteration

tatrāpaśyāma vai sarve madhu pītakamākṣikam | maruprapāte viṣame niviṣṭaṁ kumbhasammitam ||

Translation

ସେଠାରେ ଆମେ ସମସ୍ତେ ଏକ ମଧୁର ରାଶି ଦେଖିଲୁ—ସୁବର୍ଣ୍ଣ-ପୀତ ବର୍ଣ୍ଣର, ମହୁମାଛି ତିଆରି କରିଥିବା ନୁହେଁ। ତାହା ଦୁର୍ଗମ ପର୍ବତ-ଚିରାରେ, ଏମିତି ଭୟଙ୍କର ପ୍ରପାତର କାଠେ ଥିଲା ଯେ ପାଦ ଖସିଲେ ପତନ ନିଶ୍ଚିତ; ଆକାରରେ ତାହା କୁମ୍ଭ ସମାନ ଲାଗୁଥିଲା।

Word by Word

तत्रthere

अपश्यामwe saw

वैindeed

सर्वेall (of us)

मधुhoney

पीतकम्yellow, golden

अमाक्षिकम्not made by bees

मरु-प्रपातेin a desert ravine / mountain gorge

विषमेuneven, difficult (place)

निविष्टम्situated, placed

कुम्भ-सम्मितम्jar-sized, like a pot in measure

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

madhu (honey)

kumbha (jar-like object/measure)

maruprapāta (dangerous mountain precipice/cleft)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical warning through imagery: something attractive (golden honey) may be found in a dangerous setting (a treacherous precipice). The implied counsel is to weigh risk, motive, and consequence—restraining greed and choosing safety and dharma over alluring but perilous gain.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vidura recounts an observation made by a group (“we all saw”): in a difficult, hazardous mountain cleft they noticed a jar-sized, golden honey-like substance described as ‘not made by bees.’ The description functions as a vivid scene that supports Vidura’s broader counsel by presenting temptation amid danger.