Shloka 3
Jaitrya-nimitta: Signs of Prospective Victory and the Priority of Conciliation (जयलक्षण-निमित्त तथा सान्त्व-प्रधान नीति)
दैवे पूर्व प्रकृपिते मानुषे कालचोदिते । तद्विद्वांसोनुपश्यन्ति ज्ञानदिव्येन चक्षुषा
bhaṣma uvāca | daive pūrvaṁ prakupite mānuṣe kālacodite | tad vidvāṁso ’nupaśyanti jñānadivyena cakṣuṣā ||
Bhishma said: When the divine power first becomes wrathful, and human beings are then driven onward by Time, the wise perceive this with the divine eye of knowledge. Having understood the proper countermeasures, they prescribe expiatory and auspicious rites—such as mantra-recitation and fire-offerings—and thereby pacify that harmful divine affliction.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Adverse events are seen as arising from a conjunction of divine disturbance (daiva) and the compulsion of Time (kāla). The wise respond not with panic or blame, but with clear discernment and dharmic remedies—especially expiatory and auspicious rites—aimed at restoring harmony.
In Bhishma’s instruction in the Śānti Parva, he explains how learned people interpret calamity: they recognize the signs of a divine affliction and Time’s pressure upon human affairs, then recommend appropriate ritual and ethical countermeasures (e.g., japa and homa) to mitigate the harm.