Shloka 33

Devanagari script

पययिह॒न्यमानानां परित्राता न विद्यते | इदं तु दु:ःखं यच्छक्र कर्ताहमिति मन्यसे,कालक्रमसे जिनपर आघात होता है--स्वयं काल जिन्हें पीड़ा देता है, उनकी रक्षा कोई नहीं कर सकता। शक्र! तुम जो अपनेको इस परिस्थितिका कर्ता मानते हो, यही तुम्हारे लिये दुःखकी बात है

Transliteration

pīḍyamānānāṃ paritrātā na vidyate | idaṃ tu duḥkhaṃ yac chakra kartāham iti manyase ||

Translation

Bhishma berkata: “Bagi mereka yang ditimpa oleh Kala (Waktu), tak ada pelindung yang dapat ditemukan. Namun inilah duka yang sesungguhnya, wahai Śakra: engkau membayangkan, ‘Akulah pelaku, akulah penyebab keadaan ini.’”

Word by Word

पर्यायिहन्यमानानाम्of those being struck in turn (repeatedly afflicted)

परित्राताprotector

नnot

विद्यतेexists/is found

इदम्this

तुbut/indeed

दुःखम्sorrow/pain

यत्that which

शक्रO Śakra (Indra)

कर्ताdoer/agent

अहम्I

इतिthus/quoting

मन्यसेyou think/consider

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Śakra (Indra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma points to the overpowering force of Kāla (Time): when beings are afflicted by it, no external protector can truly intervene. The deeper cause of suffering, however, is the delusion of personal doership—thinking “I am the one who caused this,” which binds the mind to grief and ego-based responsibility beyond one’s actual control.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s reflective discourse, Bhīṣma addresses Śakra (Indra) and reframes a situation of distress: rather than seeing events as solely produced by an individual agent, he emphasizes the role of Time and warns that the belief “I am the doer” itself becomes a source of pain.