Shloka 37
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
कथमस्मद्विधो नाम जानन् लोकप्रवृत्तय: । कालेनाभ्याहत: शोचेन्मुहोद् वाप्यथ विशभ्रमेत्
katham asmad-vidho nāma jānan loka-pravṛttayaḥ | kālenābhyāhataḥ śocen muho vāpy atha viśabhramet ||
ビーシュマは言った。「世の運行を知る我のような者が、どうしておまえを至上のものとして重んじようか。盛衰は時（宿業の熟した力）より起こると、我は知っている。時に打たれた生きものは、悲嘆にも、迷妄にも、さらには錯乱にも陥りうる。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That worldly elevation and decline are governed by Kāla (Time/fate), and therefore one should not overvalue personal importance; when struck by Time, beings naturally fall into grief, delusion, or confusion.
Bhishma, instructing in the Shanti Parva, reflects on how understanding the world’s course leads to a sober view: suffering and mental disturbance arise when Time turns against a person, so one should interpret events through the lens of Kāla rather than ego or personal blame.