Shloka 41

Devanagari script

बहूनीन्द्रसहस्राणि दैवतानां युगे युगे । अभ्यतीतानि कालेन कालो हि दुरतिक्रम:,युग-युगमें (प्रत्येक मन्वन्तरमें) इन्द्रोंका परिवर्तन होनेके कारण अबतक देवताओंके अनेक सहस्र इन्द्र कालके गालमें चले गये हैं; अतः कालका उललड्घन करना किसीके लिये अत्यन्त कठिन है

Transliteration

bahūnīndra-sahasrāṇi daivatānāṃ yuge yuge | abhyatītāni kālena kālo hi duratikramaḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “In every age, countless thousands of Indras among the gods have been replaced and have passed away into the maw of Time. Therefore Time is indeed exceedingly hard for anyone to overstep or defeat.”

Word by Word

बहूनिmany

इन्द्रसहस्राणिthousands of Indras

दैवतानाम्of the deities

युगेin an age

युगेin (each) age

अभ्यतीतानिhave passed away / elapsed

कालेनby time

कालःtime

हिindeed / for

दुरतिक्रमःhard to overstep / insurmountable

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Indra

Deities (Daivatas)

Time (Kala)

Yuga

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the highest cosmic positions (like Indra) are transient; Time (kāla) inevitably replaces all. Hence one should cultivate humility, detachment, and alignment with dharma rather than pride in power or status.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, instructing on dharma and the nature of worldly and heavenly power, emphasizes that across successive ages innumerable Indras have come and gone, illustrating Time’s irresistible dominion.