Shloka 20

कालनिर्णयः, युगधर्मवर्णनम्, सृष्टिक्रमश्च

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

Devanagari script

दग्धमेवानुदहति हतमेवानुहन्यते । नश्यते नष्टमेवाग्रे लब्धव्यं लभते नर:

Transliteration

śakra uvāca | dagdham evānudahati hatam evānuhanyate | naśyate naṣṭam evāgre labdhavyaṃ labhate naraḥ ||

Translation

ਜੋ ਕਾਲ ਨੇ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਹੀ ਸਾੜ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਹੈ, ਉਹੀ ਜਿਵੇਂ ਮੁੜ ਸੜਦਾ ਹੈ; ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਕਾਲ ਨੇ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਹੀ ਮਾਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਹੈ, ਉਹੀ ਮੁੜ ਮਾਰਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਜੋ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਹੀ ਨਾਸ ਹੋ ਚੁੱਕਾ ਹੈ, ਉਹੀ ਨਾਸ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਦਿੱਸਦਾ ਹੈ; ਅਤੇ ਜਿਸ ਦਾ ਮਿਲਣਾ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਹੀ ਨਿਸ਼ਚਿਤ ਹੈ, ਮਨੁੱਖ ਉਹੀ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• दग्धम्: burnt (thing)
• दग्धम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दग्ध (√दह्)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• अनुदहति: burns again/afterwards
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-√दह्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• हतम्: killed (one/thing)
• हतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत (√हन्)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• अनुहन्यते: is (again) slain afterwards
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-√हन्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada (Passive)

• नश्यते: perishes/is destroyed
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नश्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• नष्टम्: already destroyed (thing)
• नष्टम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नष्ट (√नश्)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• अग्रे: before/previously
• अग्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र

• लब्धव्यम्: to be obtained/obtainable (destined gain)
• लब्धव्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लब्धव्य (√लभ्)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• लभते: obtains
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

श॒क्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• nara (human being)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes the inevitability of outcomes governed by Kāla (Time) and destiny: events that occur appear to be caused by immediate agents, but in a deeper sense they unfold because they were already determined. This encourages humility, steadiness, and reduced attachment to success or failure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śakra (Indra) speaks in a reflective, instructive tone, using parallel examples—burning, killing, destroying, obtaining—to convey that what happens to beings and things follows an already-established course, and human actions often serve as instruments in that larger order.