Shloka 16

कालनिर्णयः, युगधर्मवर्णनम्, सृष्टिक्रमश्च

Time-Reckoning, Yuga-Dharma, and the Sequence of Creation

Devanagari script

को हि लोकस्य कुरुते विनाशप्रभवावुभौ । कृतं हि तत्‌ कृतेनैव कर्ता तस्यापि चापर:

Transliteration

śakra uvāca | ko hi lokasya kurute vināśa-prabhavāv ubhau | kṛtaṃ hi tat kṛtenaiva kartā tasyāpi cāparaḥ |

Translation

ଶକ୍ର କହିଲେ—ଲୋକର ବିନାଶ ଓ ଉତ୍ପତ୍ତି—ଏ ଦୁଇଟି କିଏ କରେ? ଏହା ପ୍ରାଣୀମାନଙ୍କ ନିଜେ କରା କର୍ମଦ୍ୱାରା ହିଁ ଘଟେ; ତଥାପି ସେହି କର୍ମମାନଙ୍କ ପଛରେ ଆଉ ଜଣେ ପ୍ରେରକ—ଇଶ୍ୱର—ଅଛନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• कः: who
• कः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• लोकस्य: of the world
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• कुरुते: does/makes
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Present, Indicative, Atmanepada, Third, Singular

• विनाश: destruction
• विनाश: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रभवौ: origins/creations (arising)
• प्रभवौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• कृतम्: done/made
• Type: Participle
• Root: कृ
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• तत्: that
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• कृतेन: by action/deed
• कृतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• एव: only/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• कर्ता: doer/agent
• कर्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्य: of that/of it
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपरः: another (one)
• अपरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

श॒क्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• loka (the world)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse balances human moral responsibility with a higher metaphysical causality: worldly creation and destruction unfold through beings’ own actions (karma), yet the ultimate enabling/impelling principle behind action is a higher power (Īśvara).

What is happening in the narrative?

Śakra (Indra) speaks in a didactic exchange in the Śānti Parva, reflecting on the causes behind cosmic events. He frames world-processes as arising from karma while also pointing to a transcendent instigator beyond the visible agents.