FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.1.21

तत्राथ शुश्राव सुहृद्विनष्टिं वनं यथा वेणुजवह्निसंश्रयम् । संस्पर्धया दग्धमथानुशोचन् सरस्वतीं प्रत्यगियाय तूष्णीम् ॥ २१ ॥
tatrātha śuśrāva suhṛd-vinaṣṭiṁ
[tatraatha shushraava suhrid-vinashtim]
vanaṁ yathā veṇuja-vahni-saṁśrayam
[vanam yathaa venuja-vahni-samshrayam]
saṁspardhayā dagdham athānuśocan
[samspardhayaa dagdham athaanushochan]
sarasvatīṁ pratyag iyāya tūṣṇīm
[sarasvateem pratyag iyaaya tooshneem]
tatra — there atha — thereafter śuśrāva — heard suhṛt — kinsmen vinaṣṭim — all dead vanam — forest yathā — as much as veṇuja-vahni — fire due to the bamboos saṁśrayam — friction with one another saṁspardhayā — by violent passion dagdham — burnt atha — thus anuśocan — grieving sarasvatīm — the river Sarasvatī pratyak — westward iyāya — went tūṣṇīm — silently.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tatrātha śuśrāva suhṛd-vinaṣṭiṁ
tatra
there
atha
thereafter
śuśrāva
heard
suhṛt
kinsmen
vinaṣṭim
all dead
vanaṁ yathā veṇuja-vahni-saṁśrayam
vanam
forest
yathā
as much as
veṇuja-vahni
fire due to the bamboos
saṁśrayam
friction with one another
saṁspardhayā dagdham athānuśocan
saṁspardhayā
by violent passion
dagdham
burnt
atha
thus
anuśocan
grieving
sarasvatīṁ pratyag iyāya tūṣṇīm
sarasvatīm
the river Sarasvatī
pratyak
westward
iyāya
went
tūṣṇīm
silently.
At the place of pilgrimage at Prabhāsa, it came to his knowledge that all his relatives had died due to violent passion, just as an entire forest burns due to fire produced by the friction of bamboos. After this he proceeded west, where the river Sarasvatī flows.

Both the Kauravas and the Yādavas were relatives of Vidura, and Vidura heard of their extinction due to fratricidal war. The comparison of the friction of forest bamboos to that of passionate human societies is appropriate. The whole world is compared to a forest. At any moment there may be a flare-up of fire in the forest due to friction. No one goes to the forest to set it on fire, but due only to friction between bamboos, fire takes place and burns an entire forest. Similarly, in the greater forest of worldly transaction, the fire of war takes place because of the violent passion of the conditioned souls illusioned by the external energy. Such a worldly fire can be extinguished only by the water of the mercy cloud of saints, just as a forest fire can be extinguished only by rains falling from a cloud.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
In Prabhāsa he heard about the destruction of his friends by rivalry, just as a forest is burned up by fire generated by friction of bamboos. In grief he proceeded silently to the Sarasvatī River flowing west. In Prabhāsa (tatra) he heard about the destruction of his friends, the Kauravas. Because he was not friends with Duryodhana and others, some explain that destruction of friends means the destruction of the Yadus, which he heard on meeting Uddhava. This was just like a forest burning up. Pratyak means flowing west.
The world catches fire by its own friction; no external arsonist is needed. When the people around you erupt, recognize the bamboo-fire pattern and move toward saintly company, the only rain cloud that cools it.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose 'friction' in your life is generating most of your current suffering, and how are you tending it?
  • Where can you find the 'mercy cloud' of saintly company this week, even briefly?
📝 My note

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