Shloka 663
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
क्षमस्व नचिरादिन्द्र त्वामप्युपगमिष्यति । इन्द्र! मैं सदा सावधान रहता था
kṣamasva nacirād indra tvām apy upagamiṣyati |
Bhīṣma berkata: “Ampunkan aku, wahai Indra. Tidak lama lagi, Kāla—Waktu—akan menimpa engkau juga. Walaupun aku sentiasa berjaga-jaga, jika Waktu yang tidak pernah lalai itu masih mampu menyerangku, maka ia pun akan segera menyerangmu. Maafkan aku kerana mengucapkan kebenaran yang pahit ini.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
No one—however powerful or vigilant—can escape Kāla (Time/Death). Speaking this truth may be harsh, yet it is ethically necessary to cultivate humility, detachment, and right understanding of impermanence.
Bhīṣma addresses Indra and asks forgiveness for stating a painful reality: since Time has overtaken Bhīṣma despite his carefulness, Indra too will inevitably be approached by Time. The line underscores the universal reach of mortality.