What a surprise!

Dhrtirahsthra was very sad at the carnage of his 100 sons and entrie army in the Mahabharata battle. In order to parity his sorrow the righteous soul, Vidurji gave the instruction on religion in a soft and sympathetic tone.
Then king Dhrtirahsthra said tell me in detail everything about the ways of that intelligence by which this wilderness of duties may be safely covered.
Vidura said, Having bowed down to the self create I will obey thy behest by telling thee how the freat sages speak of the wilderness of life. A certain brahamna living in the great world, found himself on one occasion in a large inaccessible forest teeming with beasts of prey. It abounded looking like elephants. All of which were engaged in roaring aloud. Such was the aspect of that forest that yama Himself would take fight at it. Beholding become exceedingly agitated. His hair stood on end, and other sings of fear manifested them selves, O scorcher of foes Entering it he began to ran hither and tighter casting his eyes on every point of the compass for finding out somebody whose shelter he might seek. Wishing to avoid those terrible creatures he ran in fright. He could not succeed however in distancing then or freeing himself form their presence. He then saw that terrible forest was surrounded with a net and that ka frightful woman stood there, stretching her arms. That large forest was also encompassed by many five headed snakes of dreadful forms, tall as cliffs and touching the very heaves. Within it was a pit whose mouth was conversed with many hard and unyielding creepers and herbs. The brahamna in course of his wanderings fell into that invisible pit. He became entangled in those clusters creeper that were interwoven with one another like the large fruit of a jack tree hanging by its stalk. He continued to hag there feet upwards and head downwards.

While he was in that posture diverse other calamities overtook him. He beheld a large and mighty snake with in the pit. He also saw gigantic elephant near its mount. That elephant dark in complexion had six faces and twelve feet. And the animal gradually approached that pit covered with creepers and tress. Ablaut the twigs of the tree that stood at the mouth of the pit roved many bees of frightful forms employed from before in dirking the honey gathered in their comb about which they swarmed in large numbers. Repeatedly they desired o bull of Bharatas race to taste that honey which though sweet to all creatures could, however attract children only. The honey collected in the comb fell in many jets below. The person who as hanging in the pit continually drank those jets. Employed in such a distressful situation in drinking that honey his thirst however could not be appeased. Unsaturated with repeated draughts the person desired for more. Even than o king he did not become indifferent to life. Even there then man continued to hope for existence. A number of black and white rats were eating away the roots of that tree. There was fear form the beasts of prey, form that fierce woman on the outskirts of that forest from that snake at the bottom of the well from that elephant near its top from the fall of the tree thought the action of the rats and lastly for those bees flying about for tasting the honey. In that plight he continued to dwell deprived of his senses in that wilderness never losing at any times the hope of prolonging his life.

They that are conversant o monarch with the religion of mocha cite this as a simile. Understanding this properly a person may attain to bliss in the region here after. That which is described as the wilderness is the great world. The inaccessible forest with in it is the limited spree of ones own life. Those that have been mentioned as beasts of prey are the diseases to which we are subject. That woman of gigantic proportions residing in the forest is identified by the wise with Decrepitude. Which destroys complexion and beauty. That which has been spoken of as the pit is the body or physical frame of embodied creatures. The huge snake dwelling in the bottom of that pit is time thedestroyuer of all embodied creatures it is indeed the universal destroyer. The cluster of creepers growing in that pit and attached to whose spreading stems the man lagged down in desire for life, which is cherished by every creature. the six faced elephant, o king which proceeds towards the ture standing at the mouth of the pit is spoke of as the years. It six faces are the seasons and it twelve feet are the twelve months. The rats and the snakes that are cutting off the tree are said to be days and nights that are continually lessening the periods of life of all creatures. Those that have been scribbled as bees are out desires. The numerous jets that are dropping honey are the pleasure deceived form the gratification of our desires and to which me are seen to be strongly addicted. The know life course to be even such. Through that knowledge they succeed in tearing off its bonds.’

Dhrtirahsthra said Excellent is this parable that thou hast recited indeed thou art acquainted with truth having listened to thy nectar like speech, I desire to hear thee more.

Vidura said o king men conversant with the scriptures for this describe life course as a long way. The wise also call life’s round with all its difficulties a forest. Creatures o bull of Bharatas race whether mobile or immobile have to repeatedly retune to the world. the wise alone escape. The diseases mental and physical to which mortals are subject whether visible or invisible are spoken of as pasts of prey by the wise. Men are always afflicted and impeded by them o Bharatas Then again those o Bharata then again those fierce beasts of prey, represented by their own acts in life never cause any anxiety to them that are of little intelligence. If any person o monarch somehow escapes form disease Decrepitude that destroyers of beauty, overwhelms him afterwards. Plunged in a slough by the objects of the different senses sound and from and toss and touch and scent man remains there without anything to rescue him thence. Meanwhile the years the seasons the months the fortnights, the days the nights coming one after another, gradually despoil him of beauty and lesson the period allotted to him. These all are messengers of death. They however that are of little understanding know then not to be such.

He that is wise should certainly take care to prevent the obligation of rebirth He that is wise should apply the medicine of intelligence to all gear grief’s. Indeed obtaining the medicine of wisdom, which is truly very efficacious and is almost unattainable the man of restrained soul would kill that serious disease called sorrow. Neither prowess not wealth not friends know well wishers can cure a man his grief so effectually as the self restrained soul.

Endued with diverse kinds of errors entangled by the net of their own intelligence, they that are wicked and are of good vision, wander repeatedly on the earth.