Shloka 48
Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma
Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins
भीष्मजी कहते हैं--राजन्! तदनन्तर ब्राह्मणने देखा कि उन भोगी पुरुषोंको काम, क्रोध, लोभ, भय, मद, निद्रा, तन्दा और आलस्य आदि शत्रु घेरकर खड़े हैं ।।
Kuṇḍadhāra uvāca: etair lokāḥ susaṃruddhā devānāṃ mānuṣād bhayam | tathaiva devavacanād viṣaghnaṃ kurvanti sarvaśaḥ ||
昆陀陀罗说道：“看吧——世人处处都被这些过失紧紧围困。诸天对人类怀有惧意；因此，在诸天的命令之下，这些内在之敌——如欲等——从各方面障碍人的法（dharma）与苦行，仿佛施以毒药，摧毁其修行之力。”
कुण्डधार उवाच
Educational Q&A
Human spiritual life is endangered primarily by internal foes—desire, anger, greed, fear, pride, sleep, sloth, and the like. These forces ‘besiege’ the mind and thereby sabotage dharma and tapas; the remedy implied is vigilance and self-mastery.
Kuṇḍadhāra explains that people are surrounded by moral-psychological defects, and he frames these defects as agents that, under divine prompting, create obstacles to human righteousness and austerity—highlighting the constant struggle between aspiration and inner temptation.