Shloka 55
अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः
कालो भवाय भूतानाम् अभावाय च पाण्डव कालमूलम् इदं ज्ञात्वा भव स्थैर्यधनो ऽर्जुन
kālo bhavāya bhūtānām abhāvāya ca pāṇḍava kālamūlam idaṃ jñātvā bhava sthairyadhano 'rjuna
Time brings beings into becoming, and Time also carries them into non-being, O son of Pāṇḍu; knowing that this whole order has Time as its root, O Arjuna, become rich in steadfastness.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya, citing the Arjuna-address as an exemplum of teaching on Kāla)
Concept: Time is the root-cause governing arising and passing away, so one should cultivate steadfast equanimity.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Contemplate change as time-governed and practice steadiness in duty and loss/gain without agitation.
Vishishtadvaita: Kāla is treated as a real divine power under the Lord’s sovereignty, grounding disciplined equanimity rather than world-denial.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Bhakti Type: Shanta
Jagat Karana: Yes
FAQs
This verse presents Kāla as the governing root of both arising and ceasing—highlighting a cosmic law under which all beings appear and disappear, encouraging spiritual steadiness rather than panic or attachment.
By grounding courage in metaphysical clarity: when one knows that the world’s transformations are rooted in Kāla, one cultivates sthairya (firm equanimity) instead of being shaken by gain, loss, birth, or death.
In Vaishnava Purana theology, Kāla functions under the Supreme Lord’s sovereignty; understanding Time’s rule becomes a way to recognize the Lord’s ordering power behind creation and dissolution, and to turn toward liberation rather than fear.