Shloka 28
उत्तङ्कोपाख्यानप्रारम्भः — Uttanka’s Tapas, Viṣṇu-stuti, and the Dhundhumāra Prophecy
Opening
प्राज्ञास्तात न मुहान्ति कालेनापि प्रपीडिता: । एष कालो महाबाहो अपि सर्वदिवौकसाम्,तात! विद्वान् पुरुष कालसे पीड़ित होनेपर भी कभी मोहमें नहीं पड़ते। महाबाहो! यह काल सम्पूर्ण देवताओंपर भी अपना प्रभाव डालता है
prajñās tāta na muhyanti kālenāpi prapīḍitāḥ | eṣa kālo mahābāho api sarvadivaukasām ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Amado mío, los verdaderamente sabios no caen en la ilusión ni aun cuando el Tiempo los aplasta. Oh de brazos poderosos, este Tiempo ejerce su dominio incluso sobre todos los moradores del cielo».
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even overwhelming adversity caused by Kāla (Time/inevitability) should not drive a discerning person into moha (delusion). The verse urges steadiness of mind and ethical clarity, recognizing that Time overpowers all beings, even the gods.
Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, delivers a reflective maxim: he addresses a heroic listener (“mahābāho”) and explains that the wise remain undeluded despite suffering, because Time’s dominion is universal—even celestial beings cannot escape it.