Shloka 37
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
कथमस्मद्विधो नाम जानन् लोकप्रवृत्तय: । कालेनाभ्याहत: शोचेन्मुहोद् वाप्यथ विशभ्रमेत्
katham asmad-vidho nāma jānan loka-pravṛttayaḥ | kālenābhyāhataḥ śocen muho vāpy atha viśabhramet ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Comment un homme tel que moi—qui connaît les voies par lesquelles le monde se meut—pourrait-il te tenir pour suprêmement important ? Car je sais que l’élévation et la chute viennent du Temps (le destin, la force de ce qui a mûri). Une créature frappée par le Temps peut tomber dans le chagrin, l’illusion, voire la confusion.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That worldly elevation and decline are governed by Kāla (Time/fate), and therefore one should not overvalue personal importance; when struck by Time, beings naturally fall into grief, delusion, or confusion.
Bhishma, instructing in the Shanti Parva, reflects on how understanding the world’s course leads to a sober view: suffering and mental disturbance arise when Time turns against a person, so one should interpret events through the lens of Kāla rather than ego or personal blame.