Shloka 3
Jaitrya-nimitta: Signs of Prospective Victory and the Priority of Conciliation (जयलक्षण-निमित्त तथा सान्त्व-प्रधान नीति)
दैवे पूर्व प्रकृपिते मानुषे कालचोदिते । तद्विद्वांसोनुपश्यन्ति ज्ञानदिव्येन चक्षुषा
bhaṣma uvāca | daive pūrvaṁ prakupite mānuṣe kālacodite | tad vidvāṁso ’nupaśyanti jñānadivyena cakṣuṣā ||
Dijo Bhishma: Cuando el poder divino se irrita primero y luego los seres humanos son impulsados por el Tiempo, los sabios lo perciben con el ojo divino del conocimiento. Conociendo los remedios adecuados, prescriben ritos expiatorios y auspiciosos—como la recitación de mantras y las ofrendas al fuego—y así apaciguan esa aflicción divina y dañina.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Adverse events are seen as arising from a conjunction of divine disturbance (daiva) and the compulsion of Time (kāla). The wise respond not with panic or blame, but with clear discernment and dharmic remedies—especially expiatory and auspicious rites—aimed at restoring harmony.
In Bhishma’s instruction in the Śānti Parva, he explains how learned people interpret calamity: they recognize the signs of a divine affliction and Time’s pressure upon human affairs, then recommend appropriate ritual and ethical countermeasures (e.g., japa and homa) to mitigate the harm.