Shloka 16

Adhyāya 180: Jīva, Śarīra, and the Fire Analogy (भृगु–भरद्वाज संवादः)

Devanagari script

अन्तरिक्षचराणां च दानवोत्तम पक्षिणाम्‌ | उत्तिष्ठते यथाकाल मृत्युर्बलवतामपि,“दानवश्रेष्ठी] आकाशमें विचरनेवाले बलवान पक्षियोंके समक्ष भी यथासमय मृत्यु आ पहुँचती है

Transliteration

antarikṣacarāṇāṃ ca dānavottama pakṣiṇām | uttiṣṭhate yathākālaṃ mṛtyur balavatām api ||

Translation

Dijo Bhishma: «Oh el más excelso de los Dānava, aun para las aves más poderosas que recorren el cielo—las primeras entre los nacidos de los Dānava—la Muerte se alza a su debido tiempo.»

Word by Word

अन्तरिक्षचराणाम्of the sky-roaming (ones)

चand

दानवोत्तमपक्षिणाम्of the best of birds (i.e., very powerful birds)

उत्तिष्ठतेarises / comes forth

यथाas / just as

कालम्at the (proper) time

मृत्युःdeath

बलवताम्of the strong

अपिeven / also

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Mṛtyu (Death)

Dānava

pakṣi (birds)

antarikṣa (sky/mid-air)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Death comes inevitably at its appointed time; neither strength, status, nor extraordinary ability can overrule Kāla (Time). The ethical implication is humility and right living (dharma) rather than reliance on power.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction in the Śānti Parva, he underscores a universal truth through an image: even powerful sky-roaming birds (described as foremost among Dānava-kind) cannot escape death when the time arrives.