Mahabharata 11.4.2 — Stree Parva, Adhyaya 4, Shloka 2
Saṃsāra-gahana-jñāna: Vidura’s Account of Embodiment, Bondage, and Dharmic Release (संसारगहन-ज्ञानम्)
विदुर उवाच जन्मप्रभृति भूतानां क्रिया सर्वोपलक्ष्यते । पूर्वमेवेह कलिले वसते किंचिदन्तरम्
vidura uvāca janmaprabhṛti bhūtānāṃ kriyā sarvopalakṣyate | pūrvam eveha kalile vasate kiñcid antaram ||
Vidura disse: “Maharaja! Desde o próprio início do nascimento, todo o processo dos seres corporificados pode ser discernido em suas etapas sucessivas. No começo, aqui no ventre, o ser vivente permanece por algum tempo no estado de ‘kalila’ (a massa inicial, indiferenciada), e só depois prossegue para uma manifestação ulterior.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vidura points to the ordered, observable progression of embodied life from its earliest inception, implying that life and death follow natural stages; this perspective supports ethical steadiness and restraint amid grief.
In Strī Parva, Vidura addresses the king in a consolatory, instructive tone, introducing reflections on the nature of embodied existence and its stages to guide him toward composure and dharmic understanding after the devastation of war.
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