Shloka 18
कालनिर्णयः, युगधर्मवर्णनम्, सृष्टिक्रमश्च
Time-Reckoning, Yuga-Dharma, and the Sequence of Creation
महाविद्योउल्पविद्यश्न बलवान् दुर्बलश्ष यः । दर्शनीयो विरूपश्न सुभगो दुर्भगश्चन यः:,कोई बड़ा भारी विद्वान् हो या अल्पविद्यासे युक्त, बलवान् हो या दुर्बल, सुन्दर हो या कुरूप, सौभाग्यशाली हो या दुर्भाग्ययुक्त, गम्भीर काल सबको अपने तेजसे ग्रहण कर लेता है; अतः उन सबके कालके अधीन हो जानेपर जगतकी क्षणभंगुरताको जाननेवाले मुझ बलिको क्या व्यथा हो सकती है?
śakra uvāca | mahāvidyo 'lpavidyaś ca balavān durbalaś ca yaḥ | darśanīyo virūpaś ca subhago durbhagaś ca yaḥ | gambhīraḥ kālaḥ sarvān svatejasā grahaṇaṃ karoti | ataḥ teṣāṃ sarveṣāṃ kālādhinībhāve jagataḥ kṣaṇabhaṅguratāṃ jānato mama baler vā kiṃ vyathā bhavet ||
Śakra said: “Whether one is greatly learned or only slightly educated, strong or weak, handsome or ugly, fortunate or unfortunate—deep, all-consuming Time seizes everyone by its own power. Therefore, when all alike fall under Time’s dominion, what sorrow could there be for me, Bali, who understands the world’s momentary, perishable nature?”
श॒क्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
Time (kāla) overpowers all distinctions—learning, strength, beauty, and fortune. Recognizing the world’s fleeting nature, one should reduce grief and cultivate detachment and clarity about mortality.
Śakra (Indra) speaks reflectively about the universal dominion of Time, concluding that for Bali—who understands impermanence—there is no reason for anguish when all beings inevitably come under Time’s power.