धृतराष्ट्र उवाच अहो खलु महद् दुःखं कृच्छ्रवासश्च तस्य ह। कथं तस्य रतिस्तत्र तुष्टिर्वा वदतां वर॥

Dhritarashtra said “Alas great was the misery of that person and very painful his life. Tell me, O best of speakers, whence his attachment to life and whence his happiness was.

Stri Parva 6.1

स देशः क्व नु यत्रासौ वसते धर्मसंकटे। कथं वा स विमुच्येत नरस्तस्मान्महाभयात्॥

Where is that region, so inimical to the practice of virtue, where that person lives, Oh, tell me how that man will be freed from all those great dangers?

Stri Parva 6.2

एतन्मे सर्वमाचक्ष्व साधु चेष्टामहे तदा। कृपा मे महती जाता तस्याभ्युद्धरणेन हि॥

Tell me all this. We shall then try our best for him. I am stricken with pity on account of the difficulties that lie in the way of his release."

Stri Parva 6.3

विदुर उवाच उपमानामिदं राजन् मोक्षविद्भिरुदाहृतम्। सुकृतं विन्दते येन परलोकेषु मानवः॥

Vidura said O king, they that are conversant with the religion of Moksha cite this as a simile. Understanding this properly, a person may attain to blissful regions hereafter.

Stri Parva 6.4

उच्यते यत् तु कान्तारं महासंसार एव सः। वनं दुर्गं हि यच्चैतत् संसारगहनं हि तत्॥

That which is described as the forest is the great world. The inaccessible forest within it is the limited sphere of a man's life.

Stri Parva 6.5

ये च ते कथिता व्याला व्याधयस्ते प्रकीर्तिताः। या सा नारी बृहत्काया अध्यतिष्ठत तत्र वै॥ तामाहुस्तु जरां प्राज्ञा रूपवर्णविनाशिनीम्। यस्तत्र कूपो नृपते स तु देहः शरीरिणाम्॥

Those described as beasts of prey are the diseases. The huge woman living in the forest, is identified by the wise with Decrepitude which destroys complexion and beauty. The pit is the body of embodied creatures.

Stri Parva 6.6

यस्तत्र वसतेऽधस्तान्महाहिः काल एव सः। अन्तकः सर्वभूतानां देहिनां सर्वहार्यसौ॥

The huge snake living in the bottom of that pit is Time, the destroyer of all embodied beings. It is, indeed, the universal destroyer.

Stri Parva 6.7

कूपमध्ये च या जाता वल्ली यत्र स मानवः। प्रताने लम्बते लग्नो जीविताशा शरीरिणाम्॥

The cluster of creepers growing in that pit and by whose spreading stems the man hangs down is the man hangs down is the desire for life which every creature entertains.

Stri Parva 6.8

स यस्तु कूपवीनाहे तं वृक्षं परिसर्पति। षड्वक्त्रः कुञ्जरो राजन् स तु संवत्वरः स्मृतः॥

The six-faxed elephant, O king, which runs towards the tree standing at the mouth of the pit is the year. Its six faces are the seasons and its twelve feet are the twelve months.

Stri Parva 6.9

मुखानि ऋतवो मासाः पादा द्वादश कीर्तिताः। ये तु वृक्षं निकृन्तन्ति मूषिकाः सततोत्थिताः॥ रात्र्यहानि तु तान्याहुर्भूतानां परिचिन्तकाः।

The rats and the snakes that are eating up the tree are the days and nights that are continually lessening the periods of life of all creatures. The bees are our desires.

Stri Parva 6.10

ये ते मधुकरास्तत्र कामास्ते परिकीर्तिताः॥ यास्तु ता बहुशो धाराः स्रवन्ति मधुनिस्रवम्। तांस्तु कामरसान् विद्याद् यत्र मन्जन्ति मानवाः॥

The numerous jets that are pouring honey are the pleasures derived from the gratification of our desires and to which men and strongly addicted.

Stri Parva 6.11

एवं संसारचक्रस्य परिवृत्तिं विदुर्बुधाः। येन संसारचक्रस्य पाशांश्छिन्दन्ति वै बुधाः॥

The wise know life's course to be such. Through that knowledge they succeed in snapping its fetters.

Stri Parva 6.12