Shloka 32
Indrajit’s Binding, Restoration by Viśalyā, and Counsel Restraining Rāvaṇa (Āraṇyaka Parva 273)
युगान्तकाले सम्प्राप्ते कालाग्निर्दहते जगत् । सपर्वतार्णवद्वीपं सशैलवनकाननम्,'प्रलयकाल उपस्थित होनेपर वे भगवान् विष्णु ही कालाग्निरूपसे प्रकट हो पर्वत, समुद्र, द्वीप, शैल, वन और काननोंसहित सम्पूर्ण जगत्को दग्ध कर देते हैं
yugāntakāle samprāpte kālāgnir dahate jagat | saparvatārṇavadvīpaṁ saśailavanakānanam ||
Bhīma says: “When the end of an age arrives, the Fire of Time consumes the world—burning it entirely, together with its mountains, oceans, and islands, with its rocky ranges, forests, and wilderness groves.” In ethical and narrative force, the verse evokes the inevitability of cosmic dissolution to underscore the insignificance of worldly supports before Time and the need to anchor oneself in enduring dharma rather than transient power or possessions.
भीमसेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
All conditioned things—even the vast structures of nature—are subject to Time; therefore one should not cling to transient supports but cultivate steadiness in dharma and inner discipline.
Bhīma invokes a cosmic image: at the end of a world-age, the Fire of Time consumes everything—mountains, oceans, islands, forests—emphasizing total destruction and the overwhelming power of Kāla.