Shloka 946
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
अनिवृत्तस्य कालस्य क्षयं प्राप्तो न मुच्यते । “कालपर किसीका भी वश नहीं चलता। वह सदा सावधान रहकर सम्पूर्ण भूतोंको पकाता रहता है। वह कभी लौटनेवाला नहीं है। ऐसे कालके अधीन हुआ प्राणी उससे छुटकारा नहीं पाता है
anivṛttasya kālasya kṣayaṁ prāpto na mucyate |
Siapa pun yang telah jatuh dalam jangkauan Kala yang tak pernah berbalik, tak akan terbebas dari daya pelumatnya. Kala tidak berada dalam kuasa siapa pun; senantiasa waspada, ia mematangkan dan mengikis semua makhluk. Karena ia tak kembali, makhluk yang tunduk padanya tak menemukan jalan lolos.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Time (kāla) is irreversible and unconquerable; once a being falls under its consuming course, there is no escape. Therefore one should not postpone dharmic action, self-discipline, and right understanding, since delay is defeated by the certainty of change and decay.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on wisdom and conduct. Here he emphasizes the inescapability of Time as a moral reminder: human plans and power are limited, so one must live with vigilance and align life with dharma before Time carries everything toward decline.