Shloka 693

ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana

River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor

Devanagari script

कालस्तु बलवान प्राप्तस्तेन तिष्ठसि वासव । अन्यथा संसारमें कौन ऐसा वीर है

Transliteration

kālas tu balavān prāptas tena tiṣṭhasi vāsava | anyathā saṃsāre me ko nāma vīraḥ, yo yuddhe kupito mama sammukhaṃ tiṣṭhet | indra! balavān kālo 'dṛṣṭaḥ mayi samākrāntaḥ, tasmāt tvaṃ mama sammukhe tiṣṭhasi ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ— ହେ ବାସବ! ବଳବାନ କାଳ ମୋ ଉପରେ ଆସିପହଞ୍ଚିଛି; ସେଇଥିପାଇଁ ତୁମେ ମୋ ସାମ୍ନାରେ ଦାଉଁ ହୋଇପାରୁଛ। ନହେଲେ, ଏହି ସଂସାରରେ ଯୁଦ୍ଧରେ ମୁଁ କ୍ରୋଧିତ ହେଲେ ମୋ ସମ୍ମୁଖରେ ଠିଆ ହୋଇପାରିବା ଏମିତି ବୀର କିଏ? ହେ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ର! ଶକ୍ତିଶାଳୀ ଅଦୃଶ୍ୟ ଭାଗ୍ୟରୂପ କାଳ ମୋତେ ଆକ୍ରମଣ କରିଛି; ତେଣୁ ତୁମେ ମୋ ସମ୍ମୁଖରେ ଦାଉଁ ହୋଇଛ।

Word by Word

• kālaḥ: Time; Fate
• kālaḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• tu: but; indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu

• balavān: powerful
• balavān: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balavat
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• prāptaḥ: has come; has arrived; has befallen
• Type: Verb
• Root: prāpta
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, kta (past passive participle), √āp (to obtain/attain) with pra-

• tena: by that; therefore
• tena: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• tiṣṭhasi: you stand; you remain
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā
• Form: Present (Laṭ), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• vāsava: O Vāsava (Indra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsava
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Vāsava (Indra)
• Kāla (Time/Death)
• Adṛṣṭa (unseen destiny)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the greatest warrior’s power is ultimately bounded by Kāla (Time) and adṛṣṭa (unseen destiny). The verse frames ethical humility: human prowess should not become arrogance, because outcomes are governed by forces beyond personal strength.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses Indra (Vāsava), asserting that Indra can face him only because Time/destiny has already overtaken Bhīṣma. He emphasizes his former invincibility in battle and attributes the present reversal to the overpowering arrival of Kāla.