Shloka 18

कालनिर्णयः, युगधर्मवर्णनम्, सृष्टिक्रमश्च

Time-Reckoning, Yuga-Dharma, and the Sequence of Creation

Devanagari script

महाविद्योउल्पविद्यश्न बलवान्‌ दुर्बलश्ष यः । दर्शनीयो विरूपश्न सुभगो दुर्भगश्चन यः:

Transliteration

śakra uvāca | mahāvidyo 'lpavidyaś ca balavān durbalaś ca yaḥ | darśanīyo virūpaś ca subhago durbhagaś ca yaḥ | gambhīraḥ kālaḥ sarvān svatejasā grahaṇaṃ karoti | ataḥ teṣāṃ sarveṣāṃ kālādhinībhāve jagataḥ kṣaṇabhaṅguratāṃ jānato mama baler vā kiṃ vyathā bhavet ||

Translation

Dijo Śakra: «Sea uno muy erudito o de escasa instrucción, fuerte o débil, hermoso o deforme, afortunado o desdichado: el Tiempo, profundo y devorador, se apodera de todos con su propio poder. Por eso, cuando todos por igual caen bajo el dominio del Tiempo, ¿qué pena podría haber para mí, Bali, que conozco la naturaleza fugaz y perecedera del mundo?»

Word by Word

• महाविद्यः: one of great learning
• महाविद्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाविद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अल्पविद्यः: one of little learning
• अल्पविद्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्पविद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and/or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• बलवान्: strong
• बलवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दुर्बलः: weak
• दुर्बलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and/or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• यः: who (whoever)
• यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दर्शनीयः: pleasant to see, handsome
• दर्शनीयः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दर्शनीय (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √दृश् + अनीय)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विरूपः: ugly, deformed
• विरूपः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and/or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सुभगः: fortunate, auspicious
• सुभगः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुभग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दुर्भगः: unfortunate
• दुर्भगः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्भग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and/or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• यः: who (whoever)
• यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

श॒क्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Kāla (Time/Death)
• Bali

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Time (kāla) overpowers all distinctions—learning, strength, beauty, and fortune. Recognizing the world’s fleeting nature, one should reduce grief and cultivate detachment and clarity about mortality.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śakra (Indra) speaks reflectively about the universal dominion of Time, concluding that for Bali—who understands impermanence—there is no reason for anguish when all beings inevitably come under Time’s power.