Shloka 40

ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana

River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor

Devanagari script

त्वामप्येवं सुदुर्धर्ष ज्वलन्तं परया श्रिया । काले परिणते काल: कालयिष्यति मामिव,यद्यपि आज तुम इस प्रकार दुर्धर्ष हो और अत्यन्त तेजसे प्रज्वलित हो रहे हो; किंतु जब समय परिवर्तित होगा, अर्थात्‌ जब तुम्हारा प्रारब्ध खराब होगा, तब मेरी ही भाँति तुम्हें भी काल अपना शिकार बना लेगा--इन्द्रपदसे भ्रष्ट कर देगा

Transliteration

tvām apy evaṁ sudurdharṣa jvalantaṁ parayā śriyā | kāle pariṇate kālaḥ kālayiṣyati mām iva ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Selbst du—so unangreifbar du jetzt bist, lodernd in höchster Pracht—wenn die Zeit sich wendet und deine bestimmte Stunde heranreift, wird die Zeit selbst dich ins Verderben führen, wie sie mich geführt hat. Keine Macht, kein Rang und kein Glanz steht außerhalb der Reichweite Kālas.“

Word by Word

• {'tvām': 'you (accusative singular)', 'api': 'also, even', 'evaṁ': 'thus, in this manner', 'sudurdharṣa': 'very hard to assail

• invincible, formidable (vocative)', 'jvalantam': 'blazing, shining intensely (accusative singular)', 'parayā': 'by the highest, supreme (instrumental singular feminine)', 'śriyā': 'splendor

• royal fortune (Śrī) (instrumental singular)', 'kāle': 'when time

• at the time (locative singular)', 'pariṇate': 'when it has matured/turned

• when circumstances ripen (locative absolute sense)', 'kālaḥ': 'Time

• the cosmic force that ends all (nominative singular)', 'kālayiṣyati': 'will cause to perish

• will bring to an end (future)', 'mām': 'me (accusative singular)', 'iva': 'like, as'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Kāla (Time/Death)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

No matter how invincible one appears—supported by power, prosperity, or brilliance—Kāla (Time/Death) eventually overcomes all. The verse urges humility and ethical restraint by reminding rulers that fortune turns and destiny ripens.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses a powerful figure, warning that present glory and unassailable strength are temporary. When the proper time arrives and circumstances change, Time will bring that person down, just as Bhīṣma himself has been brought low.