Shloka 663

ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana

River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor

Devanagari script

क्षमस्व नचिरादिन्द्र त्वामप्युपगमिष्यति । इन्द्र! मैं सदा सावधान रहता था, तथापि कभी आलस्य न करनेवाले कालका यदि मुझपर आक्रमण हो गया तो तुमपर भी शीघ्र ही उस कालका आक्रमण होगा। इस कटु सत्यके लिये मुझे क्षमा करना

Transliteration

kṣamasva nacirād indra tvām apy upagamiṣyati |

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Vergib mir, o Indra. Schon bald wird die Zeit auch über dich kommen. Obwohl ich stets wachsam war, konnte mich die unermüdliche, unerbittliche Zeit dennoch treffen; so wird sie auch dich bald treffen. Verzeih mir, dass ich diese bittere Wahrheit ausspreche.“

Word by Word

क्षमस्वforgive (me)

नnot

चिरात्after a long time; long hence

इन्द्रO Indra

त्वाम्you

अपिalso; even

उपगमिष्यतिwill approach; will come upon

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Indra

Kāla (Time/Death, implied)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

No one—however powerful or vigilant—can escape Kāla (Time/Death). Speaking this truth may be harsh, yet it is ethically necessary to cultivate humility, detachment, and right understanding of impermanence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses Indra and asks forgiveness for stating a painful reality: since Time has overtaken Bhīṣma despite his carefulness, Indra too will inevitably be approached by Time. The line underscores the universal reach of mortality.