Shloka 28

Devanagari script

प्राज्ञास्तात न मुहान्ति कालेनापि प्रपीडिता: । एष कालो महाबाहो अपि सर्वदिवौकसाम्‌,तात! विद्वान्‌ पुरुष कालसे पीड़ित होनेपर भी कभी मोहमें नहीं पड़ते। महाबाहो! यह काल सम्पूर्ण देवताओंपर भी अपना प्रभाव डालता है

Transliteration

prajñās tāta na muhyanti kālenāpi prapīḍitāḥ | eṣa kālo mahābāho api sarvadivaukasām ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Dear one, the truly wise do not fall into delusion even when crushed by Time. O mighty-armed one, this Time exerts its power even over all the dwellers of heaven.”

Word by Word

प्राज्ञाःwise (men)

तातdear one / son (term of address)

नnot

मुह्यन्तिbecome deluded

कालेनby time

अपिeven

प्रपीडिताःafflicted / oppressed

एषःthis

कालःtime

महाबाहोO mighty-armed one

अपिeven

सर्वof all

दिवौकसाम्of the dwellers in heaven (gods)

तातdear one (address)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

kāla (Time)

sarva-divaukasaḥ (the gods/heaven-dwellers)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even overwhelming adversity caused by Kāla (Time/inevitability) should not drive a discerning person into moha (delusion). The verse urges steadiness of mind and ethical clarity, recognizing that Time overpowers all beings, even the gods.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, delivers a reflective maxim: he addresses a heroic listener (“mahābāho”) and explains that the wise remain undeluded despite suffering, because Time’s dominion is universal—even celestial beings cannot escape it.