Shloka 693
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
कालस्तु बलवान प्राप्तस्तेन तिष्ठसि वासव । अन्यथा संसारमें कौन ऐसा वीर है
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 ||
Bhīṣma disse: “O Tempo—poderoso e irresistível—abateu-se sobre mim; por isso tu, ó Vāsava (Indra), consegues ficar diante de mim. De outro modo, neste mundo, quem seria herói bastante para permanecer à minha frente em batalha quando estou irado? Indra, o Tempo poderoso—o destino invisível—assaltou-me; por isso estás na minha presença.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.