Shloka 41
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
बहूनीन्द्रसहस्राणि दैवतानां युगे युगे । अभ्यतीतानि कालेन कालो हि दुरतिक्रम:,युग-युगमें (प्रत्येक मन्वन्तरमें) इन्द्रोंका परिवर्तन होनेके कारण अबतक देवताओंके अनेक सहस्र इन्द्र कालके गालमें चले गये हैं; अतः कालका उललड्घन करना किसीके लिये अत्यन्त कठिन है
bahūnīndra-sahasrāṇi daivatānāṃ yuge yuge | abhyatītāni kālena kālo hi duratikramaḥ ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Em cada era, incontáveis milhares de Indras entre os deuses foram substituídos e passaram para as mandíbulas do Tempo. Por isso, o Tempo é de fato extremamente difícil de ser ultrapassado ou vencido por quem quer que seja.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the highest cosmic positions (like Indra) are transient; Time (kāla) inevitably replaces all. Hence one should cultivate humility, detachment, and alignment with dharma rather than pride in power or status.
Bhishma, instructing on dharma and the nature of worldly and heavenly power, emphasizes that across successive ages innumerable Indras have come and gone, illustrating Time’s irresistible dominion.