Shloka 32
सूक्ष्मभूत-भूतात्मविज्ञानम्
Knowing the subtle principle and the bhūtātman through yoga
आवर्तमानमजरं विवर्तनं षण्णाभिकं द्वादशारं सुपर्व । यस्येदमास्ये परियाति विश्रृ तत् कालचक्रं निहितं गुहायाम्
āvartamānam ajaraṁ vivartanaṁ ṣaṇṇābhikaṁ dvādaśāraṁ suparva | yasyedam āsye pariyāti viśvaṁ tat kālacakraṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām ||
Vyāsa berkata: “Terus berputar, tak pernah menua, senantiasa beredar—itulah Roda Waktu. Enam musim adalah porosnya, dua belas bulan jari-jarinya, dan ‘simpul-simpul’nya yang tersusun rapi ialah upacara suci seperti darśa dan paurṇamāsa (bulan baru dan purnama). Ke dalam mulutnya seluruh jagat ini masuk seakan makanan. Roda Waktu itu tersimpan dalam gua batin, yakni intelek terdalam; siapa sungguh mengetahuinya, dipuji para dewa karena laku baiknya.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Time is an unceasing, undecaying cosmic cycle that consumes all beings and events; wisdom lies in recognizing this inner truth (within the ‘cave’ of intellect) and aligning one’s conduct with dharma rather than clinging to what time inevitably carries away.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and right understanding, Vyāsa presents a vivid metaphor: time as a wheel structured by seasons, months, and ritual divisions, into which the whole world is drawn—urging the listener toward inner discernment and ethical steadiness.