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Shloka 4

Adhyāya 6: Vidura’s Saṃsāra-Upamā

The Allegory of the Well, Time, and Desire

विदुर उवाच उपमानमिदं राजन्‌ मोक्षविद्धिरुदाह्तम्‌ । सुकृतं विन्दते येन परलोकेषु मानव:

vidura uvāca upamānam idaṁ rājan mokṣa-vidhir udāhṛtam | sukṛtaṁ vindate yena paralokeṣu mānavaḥ ||

Vidura nói: “Tâu Đại vương, đây là một ví dụ minh họa được nêu ra để giải thích con đường dẫn đến giải thoát (mokṣa). Ai theo đó sẽ đạt được quả báo của công đức ở các cõi đời sau.”

विदुरःVidura
विदुरः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootविदुर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
TypeVerb
Rootवच्
FormPerfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular
उपमानम्comparison; simile; example
उपमानम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootउपमान
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
इदम्this
इदम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
राजन्O king
राजन्:
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
मोक्षविद्धिःthe doctrine/knowledge of liberation
मोक्षविद्धिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमोक्षविद्धि
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
उदाहृतम्has been stated; has been cited
उदाहृतम्:
TypeVerb
Rootउद्-आ-हृ
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
सुकृतम्merit; good deed
सुकृतम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसुकृत
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
विन्दतेfinds; obtains
विन्दते:
TypeVerb
Rootविद्
FormPresent, Third, Singular
येनby which; through which
येन:
Karana
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular
परलोकेषुin the other worlds; in the hereafter
परलोकेषु:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootपरलोक
FormMasculine, Locative, Plural
मानवःa man; human being
मानवः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमानव
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

विदुर उवाच

V
Vidura
T
the King (rājan)

Educational Q&A

Vidura frames his counsel as an upamāna (analogy) meant to clarify mokṣa-vidhi—the practical discipline leading toward liberation—while also emphasizing that such right conduct yields sukṛta (merit) that bears fruit in the hereafter.

In the Stree Parva’s grief-filled aftermath of the war, Vidura addresses the king and introduces an instructive comparison, preparing to explain a path of ethical and spiritual practice that can guide a person beyond sorrow toward higher good and ultimate release.