Shloka 95
कथं महात्मा गाजड़ेय: सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वर: । कालकर्ता नरव्याघ्र: सम्प्राप्ते दक्षिणायने
kathaṃ mahātmā gāṅgeyaḥ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ | kālakartā naravyāghraḥ samprāpte dakṣiṇāyane ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Bagaimanakah Bhīṣma yang berhati agung, putera Gaṅgā—terunggul dalam kalangan semua pemegang senjata, harimau di antara manusia, dan yang mampu menentukan saat kematiannya sendiri—dapat menerima ajal ketika matahari memasuki perjalanan selatan (Dakṣiṇāyana)? Mengapa seorang penguasa diri dan takdir memilih berangkat pada musim itu?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical and spiritual problem of death’s timing: even one who can choose the moment of death (kālakartā) is still interpreted through dharma and cosmic order (the sun’s course). It invites reflection on how personal agency, vows, and the auspiciousness of time interact in a dharmic worldview.
Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, expresses wonder: Bhīṣma—renowned as the greatest warrior and as one who could control the time of his death—has accepted death in Dakṣiṇāyana. The question sets up an explanation of Bhīṣma’s choice and the significance of seasonal/solar timing in his passing.