Shloka 16
त्रिवर्गमूलनिश्चयः — Determining the Roots of Dharma, Artha, and Kāma
Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 123
स गर्भ शिरसा देवो बहुवर्षाण्यधारयत् । पूर्णे वर्षमहस्रे तु स गर्भ: क्षुवतोडपतत्
sa garbhaśirasā devo bahuvarṣāṇy adhārayat | pūrṇe varṣasahasre tu sa garbhaḥ kṣuvatodapatat ||
Dijo Vasuharoma: “Aquel ser divino llevó el embrión sobre su cabeza durante muchos años. Pero, al cumplirse un millar de años, el embrión resbaló y cayó cuando estornudó—mostrando que aun lo sostenido por largo tiempo puede soltarse en un instante cuando convergen el tiempo y el impulso del cuerpo.”
वसुहरोम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the power of time (kāla) and the inevitability of release: even something sustained for an immense duration can be undone suddenly by a small bodily act, suggesting that outcomes mature when their time is complete rather than merely by prolonged effort.
Vasuharoma narrates a marvel: a divine being carries an embryo on his head for many years; after a full thousand years, during a sneeze, the embryo slips and falls out—marking the moment of its emergence.