Shloka 38
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
नित्यं कालपरीतस्य मम वा मद्विधस्य वा | बुद्धिरव्यसनमासाद्य भिन्ना नौरिव सीदति
nityaṁ kālaparītasya mama vā madvidhasya vā | buddhir avyasanam āsādya bhinnā naur iva sīdati ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Seja eu mesmo ou qualquer homem como eu—quando alguém é subjugado pelo Tempo (a força do destino), seu entendimento inevitavelmente cai em aflição e se enfraquece, afundando como um barco partido.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a capable person’s discernment can falter when overwhelmed by Kāla (destiny/time). The verse urges humility about human judgment and compassion toward those whose decisions collapse under misfortune.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Bhīṣma reflects on the power of Time over human agency, using the image of a broken boat to describe how the mind loses steadiness when struck by calamity.