Shloka 31
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
न विद्या न तपो दानं न मित्राणि न बान्धवा: । शवनुवन्ति परित्रातुं नरं कालेन पीडितम्
na vidyā na tapo dānaṁ na mitrāṇi na bāndhavāḥ | śaknuvanti paritrātuṁ naraṁ kālena pīḍitam ||
Bhīṣma said: Neither learning, nor austerity, nor charitable giving—nor even friends or kinsmen—are able to rescue a man when he is crushed by Time (fate).
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
All human resources—merit from learning, austerity, charity, and even social support—have limits; when Kāla (Time/fate) bears down, none can guarantee rescue. The teaching encourages humility, non-attachment, and a deeper grounding in dharma beyond reliance on worldly securities.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and the realities of life. Here he emphasizes the overpowering nature of Kāla, warning that even virtues and relationships may fail to protect someone when destiny/time brings severe affliction.