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Shloka 36

बलीन्द्रसंवादः — Kāla, Anityatā, and the Limits of Agency

Mahābhārata 12.217

सूच्या सूत्र यथा वस्त्रे संसारयति वायक: । तद्वत्‌ संसारसूत्र हि तृष्णासूच्या निबद्धयते,जैसे कपड़ा बुननेवाला बुनकर सूईसे वस्त्रमें सूतको पिरो देता है, उसी प्रकार तृष्णारूपी सूईसे संसाररूपी सूत्र ग्रथित होता है

sūcyā sūtraṃ yathā vastre saṃsārayati vāyakaḥ | tadvat saṃsārasūtraṃ hi tṛṣṇāsūcyā nibaddhyate ||

ఎలా నేయువాడు సూదితో వస్త్రంలో నూలును దూర్చి నేస్తాడో, అలాగే తృష్ణారూప సూది చేత సంసారరూప నూలు గుచ్చబడి గట్టిగా నేయబడుతుంది।

सूच्याwith a needle
सूच्या:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootसूची
FormFeminine, Instrumental, Singular
सूत्रम्thread
सूत्रम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसूत्र
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
यथाjust as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
वस्त्रेin/into the cloth
वस्त्रे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootवस्त्र
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
संसारयतिthreads/passes through
संसारयति:
TypeVerb
Rootसंसारय् (संसारयति)
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
वायकःthe weaver
वायकः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवायक
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तद्वत्in the same way
तद्वत्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतद्वत्
संसारसूत्रम्the thread of worldly existence
संसारसूत्रम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसंसार-सूत्र
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
हिindeed
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
तृष्णासूच्याby the needle of craving
तृष्णासूच्या:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootतृष्णा-सूची
FormFeminine, Instrumental, Singular
निबद्ध्यतेis bound/fastened
निबद्ध्यते:
TypeVerb
Rootनि-बन्ध्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Passive

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
V
vāyaka (weaver)
S
sūcī (needle)
S
sūtra (thread)
V
vastra (cloth)
T
tṛṣṇā (craving)
S
saṃsāra

Educational Q&A

Craving (tṛṣṇā) is the binding instrument that ‘stitches’ a being into saṃsāra; by reducing desire, one loosens the very mechanism that keeps worldly bondage continuous.

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on dharma and liberation-oriented ethics. Here he uses a vivid craft metaphor—needle, thread, and cloth—to explain how desire functions as the practical cause that binds life to repeated worldly entanglement.