Shloka 5
Saṃsāra-mārga-vistaraḥ
Vidura’s Expanded Account of the Path
तस्मादध्वानमेवैतमाहु: शास्त्रविदो जना: । यत्तु संसारगहनं वनमाहुर्मनीषिण:,इसीलिये शास्त्रज्ञ पुरुषोंने गर्भवासको मार्गका ही रूपक दिया है और गहन संसारको मनीषी पुरुष वन कहा करते हैं
tasmād adhvānām evaitam āhuḥ śāstravido janāḥ | yat tu saṃsāragahanaṃ vanam āhur manīṣiṇaḥ ||
因此，通晓圣典者把此境称作“行路之旅”；而智者亦将世间生存那稠密纠缠之网称为“森林”——难以穿越，且极易迷失方向。
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly life (saṃsāra) is portrayed as a difficult terrain: a path that must be traversed and a dense forest in which one can easily become lost. The verse urges vigilance, discernment, and reliance on śāstric wisdom to navigate life ethically.
Vidura is offering reflective counsel in the aftermath of the war, using metaphors to frame human existence as perilous and confusing, thereby guiding listeners toward steadiness, right conduct, and clarity amid grief and upheaval.