Shloka 12
Adhyāya 6: Vidura’s Saṃsāra-Upamā
The Allegory of the Well, Time, and Desire
ये ते मधुकरास्तत्र कामास्ते परिकीर्तिता:,और जो-जो वहाँ मधुमक्खियाँ कही गयी हैं, वे सब कामनाएँ हैं। जो बहुत-सी धाराएँ मधुके झरने झरती रहती हैं, उन्हें कामरस जानना चाहिये, जहाँ सभी मानव डूब जाते हैं
ye te madhukarās tatra kāmās te parikīrtitāḥ | yāś ca bahvyaḥ sravaṇīyo dhārā madhu-sravaṇāḥ satataṃ sravanti tāḥ kāma-rasaṃ vijānīyāt yatra sarve manuṣyā nimajjanti ||
毗度罗说：“那里所谓的‘蜂’，实则是欲望；而那不断滴落蜂蜜的诸多细流，当知是贪爱之‘甘汁’——甜美而醉人，使世人沉溺其中。”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Desire presents itself as sweetness and abundance, but its ‘honey’ intoxicates and pulls people into attachment; ethical clarity requires recognizing this lure and not being submerged by it.
Vidura is offering reflective counsel using a metaphor: what appear as harmless bees and honeyed streams are actually forms of craving and its pleasures, which overwhelm human judgment and lead to downfall.