Shloka 11

Devanagari script

नाभ्येति कारणं कार्य न कार्य कारणं तथा । कार्याणां तूपकरणे कालो भवति हेतुमान्‌,न तो कारण कार्यमें प्रवेश करता है और न कार्य कारणमें। कार्य करते समय काल ही उनकी सिद्धि और असिद्धिमें हेतु होता है

Transliteration

nābhyeti kāraṇaṁ kāryaṁ na kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ tathā | kāryāṇāṁ tūpakaraṇe kālo bhavati hetumān, na tu kāraṇaṁ kāryam |

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「原因は結果の中へ入り込まず、結果もまた原因の中へ入り込まない。行為が現実に遂行されるとき、その成否を決するのは時（カーラ）であって、原因が結果へ溶け込むことではない。」

Word by Word

नnot

अभ्येतिenters/approaches

कारणम्cause

कार्यम्effect; result; what is to be done

नnot

कार्यम्effect; result

कारणम्cause

तथाso; likewise

कार्याणाम्of effects/acts

तुbut; indeed

उपकरणेin the means/instrumentation; in the undertaking

कालःtime

भवतिis; becomes

हेतुमान्causal; being the cause

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Kala (Time)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse distinguishes cause and effect as conceptually separate and emphasizes that, in practical outcomes, Time (kāla) functions as the decisive factor behind success or failure. It cautions against assuming a simple, direct ‘cause merges into effect’ model and highlights temporal conditions as crucial.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right understanding. Here he offers a philosophical clarification about causality and the role of Time in the fruition of actions, as part of broader ethical and metaphysical counsel after the war.