Shloka 58
उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel
अहं राजा च विप्रेन्द्र पश्य कालस्य पर्ययम् । मत्कृतस्योपदेशस्य त्वयावाप्तमिदं फलम्,विप्रेन्द्र! यह कालका उलट-फेर तो देखिये कि मैं तो शूद्रसे राजा हो गया और मुझे ही उपदेश करनेके कारण आपको यह फल मिला
ahaṃ rājā ca viprendra paśya kālasya paryayam | matkṛtasyopadeśasya tvayāvāptam idaṃ phalam ||
Der Priester sprach: „O Bester unter den Brāhmaṇas, sieh die Umkehr, die die Zeit bewirkt. Ich bin zum König geworden, und du hast diese Folge erlangt als Frucht des Rates, den ich dir gab.“
पुरोहित उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kāla (Time) and karma: outcomes can invert social positions and expectations, and even well-meant counsel can yield unforeseen consequences. It urges humility and ethical caution in giving advice, recognizing that results unfold under the larger movement of Time.
A priest addresses a brāhmaṇa, pointing to a dramatic reversal: the speaker has risen to kingship, while the addressee has received a particular consequence. The priest frames this as the ‘turning of Time’ and as the fruit connected to the instruction he previously gave.