Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 29
The Forest of Material Existence (Saṁsāra-vana) and the Delivering Path of Bharata’s Teachings
कदाचिदीश्वरस्य भगवतो विष्णोश्चक्रात्परमाण्वादिद्विपरार्धापवर्गकालोपलक्षणात्परिवर्तितेन वयसा रंहसा हरत आब्रह्मतृणस्तम्बादीनां भूतानामनिमिषतो मिषतां वित्रस्तहृदयस्तमेवेश्वरं कालचक्रनिजायुधं साक्षाद्भगवन्तं यज्ञपुरुषमनादृत्य पाखण्डदेवता: कङ्कगृध्रबकवटप्राया आर्यसमयपरिहृता: साङ्केत्येनाभिधत्ते ॥ २९ ॥
kadācid īśvarasya bhagavato viṣṇoś cakrāt paramāṇv-ādi-dvi-parārdhāpavarga-kālopalakṣaṇāt parivartitena vayasā raṁhasā harata ābrahma-tṛṇa-stambādīnāṁ bhūtānām animiṣato miṣatāṁ vitrasta-hṛdayas tam eveśvaraṁ kāla-cakra-nijāyudhaṁ sākṣād bhagavantaṁ yajña-puruṣam anādṛtya pākhaṇḍa-devatāḥ kaṅka-gṛdhra-baka-vaṭa-prāyā ārya-samaya-parihṛtāḥ sāṅketyenābhidhatte.
Le disque de Bhagavān Viṣṇu, le hari-cakra, est la roue du temps : il s’étend du commencement des atomes jusqu’à la fin de la vie de Brahmā, gouverne toutes les actions et, tournant sans cesse, consume la durée de tous les êtres, de Brahmā jusqu’à un brin d’herbe. Par crainte de la mort, l’âme conditionnée cherche un sauveur, mais néglige Bhagavān lui-même, le Yajña-puruṣa, dont l’arme est le temps infatigable, et se réfugie auprès de dieux fabriqués par l’homme dans des écrits non autorisés; ces dieux ressemblent à des vautours et des corbeaux, ne sont pas vediques et ne peuvent délivrer des griffes de la mort.
It is stated: hariṁ vinā mṛtiṁ na taranti. No one can save himself from the cruel hands of death without being favored by Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te: whoever fully surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa can be saved from the cruel hands of material nature. The conditioned soul, however, sometimes wants to take shelter of a demigod, man-made god, pseudo incarnation or bogus svāmī or yogī. All these cheaters claim to follow religious principles, and all this has become very popular in this Age of Kali. There are many pāṣaṇḍīs who, without referring to the śāstras, pose themselves as incarnations, and foolish people follow them. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has left behind Him Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā. Not referring to these authorized scriptures, rascals take shelter of man-made scriptures and try to compete with Lord Kṛṣṇa. That is the greatest difficulty one encounters when trying to promote spiritual consciousness in human society. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying its best to bring people back to Kṛṣṇa consciousness in its pure form, but the pāṣaṇḍīs and atheists, who are cheaters, are so numerous that sometimes we become perplexed and wonder how to push this movement forward. In any case, we cannot accept the unauthorized ways of so-called incarnations, gods, cheaters and bluffers, who are described here as crows, vultures, buzzards and herons.
FAQs
This verse states that Time is Lord Viṣṇu’s own wheel—His weapon—by which the lifespan of all beings, from Brahmā down to grass, is swiftly taken away; therefore one should honor and worship Him directly.
Because, despite fearing Time and death, such people neglect the Supreme Lord (Yajña-Puruṣa) and turn away from the noble Vedic path, adopting indirect or distorted forms of worship instead of direct devotion to Bhagavān.
Remember that time is constantly reducing life; prioritize direct spiritual practice—bhakti, sincere worship, and ethical living—rather than chasing temporary fears, superstitions, or indirect substitutes for devotion to the Supreme.