Shloka 15
Adhyāya 249 — Mṛtyu-prādurbhāvaḥ (The Manifestation of Death) / Restraint of Tejas and Ordered Saṃhāra
संसारसागरगमां योनिपातालदुस्तराम् | आत्मकर्मोद्धवां तात जिद्नावर्ता दुरासदाम्
saṃsārasāgaragamāṃ yonipātāladustarām | ātmakarmoddhavāṃ tāta jihvāvartāṃ durāsadām ||
毗耶娑说：“孩子啊，此世间之流，犹如一条可怖的大河，流经诸世界，终归入轮回之海。其源难寻，其深如地狱幽府，渡之极难。它由各自之业（karma）而生；其漩涡乃是舌根——对滋味的贪著与渴求——近之亦险。唯有以清净之慧与自制之力，方能涉渡此河，抵达安稳之岸。”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly bondage is self-created through one’s own karma and cravings; sense-driven appetite (symbolized by the tongue) becomes a whirlpool that drags one back into saṃsāra. The remedy implied is purification of intellect, restraint, and disciplined living aimed at liberation.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Vyāsa addresses a listener affectionately (“tāta”) and teaches through a vivid allegory: saṃsāra is a terrifying river leading into the ocean of continued existence, difficult to cross because of inner forces like craving and habit.