Shloka 38
नित्यं कालपरीतस्य मम वा मद्विधस्य वा | बुद्धिरव्यसनमासाद्य भिन्ना नौरिव सीदति,मैं होऊँ या मेरे-जैसा दूसरा कोई पुरुष हो। जब काल ([प्रारब्ध) से आक्रान्त हो जाता है, तब सदा ही उसकी बुद्धि संकटमें पड़कर फटी हुई नौकाके समान शिथिल हो जाती है
nityaṁ kālaparītasya mama vā madvidhasya vā | buddhir avyasanam āsādya bhinnā naur iva sīdati ||
Bhīṣma said: “Whether it be I myself or any man like me—when one is overpowered by Time (the force of destiny), his understanding inevitably falls into distress and slackens, sinking like a boat that has been split.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a capable person’s discernment can falter when overwhelmed by Kāla (destiny/time). The verse urges humility about human judgment and compassion toward those whose decisions collapse under misfortune.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Bhīṣma reflects on the power of Time over human agency, using the image of a broken boat to describe how the mind loses steadiness when struck by calamity.