Shloka 2

Saṃsāra-gahana-jñāna: Vidura’s Account of Embodiment, Bondage, and Dharmic Release (संसारगहन-ज्ञानम्)

Devanagari script

विदुर उवाच जन्मप्रभृति भूतानां क्रिया सर्वोपलक्ष्यते । पूर्वमेवेह कलिले वसते किंचिदन्तरम्‌,विदुरजीने कहा--महाराज! जब गर्भाशयमें वीर्य और रजका संयोग होता है तभीसे जीवोंकी गर्भवृद्धिरूप सारी क्रिया शास्त्रके अनुसार देखी जाती हैं।- आरम्भमें जीव कलिल (वीर्य और रजके संयोग)-के रूपमें रहता है, फिर कुछ दिन बाद पाँचवाँ महीना बीतनेपर वह चैतन्यरूपसे प्रकट होकर पिण्डमें निवास करने लगता है। इसके बाद वह गर्भस्थ पिण्ड सर्वांगपूर्ण हो जाता है

Transliteration

vidura uvāca janmaprabhṛti bhūtānāṃ kriyā sarvopalakṣyate | pūrvam eveha kalile vasate kiñcid antaram ||

Translation

毗陀罗说道：“大王！自受生之初，有身众生的整个过程，皆可按其次第而观。起初，在母胎之中，生命暂住于‘迦梨罗’之态——未分化的初始团块——随后才渐次趋向进一步的显现。”

Word by Word

विदुरःVidura

उवाचsaid

जन्मfrom birth

प्रभृतिonwards, beginning from

भूतानाम्of beings

क्रियाactivity, process

सर्वentire, all

उपलक्ष्यतेis observed/recognized

पूर्वम्formerly, at first

एवindeed, just

इहhere (in this context/embryo)

कलिलेin the kalila stage (embryonic mass)

वसतेdwells, resides

किञ्चित्somewhat, a little

अन्तरम्interval, time-gap

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

Maharaja (addressed implicitly)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vidura points to the ordered, observable progression of embodied life from its earliest inception, implying that life and death follow natural stages; this perspective supports ethical steadiness and restraint amid grief.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Strī Parva, Vidura addresses the king in a consolatory, instructive tone, introducing reflections on the nature of embodied existence and its stages to guide him toward composure and dharmic understanding after the devastation of war.