Shloka 173
Saṃsāra-Gahana Allegory: The Brāhmaṇa in the Forest and Well (संसारगहन-आख्यान)
स्वादनीयानि भूतानां यैर्बालो विप्रकृष्यते । भरतश्रेष्ठ) समस्त प्राणियोंको स्वादिष्ट प्रतीत होनेवाले उस मधुको, जिसपर बालक आदृष्ट हो जाते हैं, वे मक्खियाँ बारंबार पीना चाहती थीं
svādanīyāni bhūtānāṃ yair bālo viprakṛṣyate |
स्वादनीयानि भूतानां यैर्बालो विप्रकृष्यते। भरतश्रेष्ठ, सर्वभूतानां स्वादु प्रतीतं तन्मधु यत् बालान् आकृष्य मोहयति, तत् मधुमक्षिकाः पुनः पुनः पातुमैच्छन्॥
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Pleasures that seem sweet can entice the immature mind and pull it away from discrimination; therefore one should cultivate restraint and clear judgment rather than repeatedly chasing what merely tastes good.
Vidura is offering reflective counsel, using a general observation about how ‘sweet’ objects attract beings—especially the immature—to illustrate the danger of being lured by sensory allurements.