Shloka 983
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
कालो हरति सम्प्राप्तो नदीवेग इव द्रुमम् “जैसे नदीका वेग सहसा बढ़कर किनारेके वृक्षका हरण कर लेता है। उसी प्रकार “यह आज करूँगा और वह कल पूरा करूँगा।” ऐसा कहनेवाले पुरुषका काल सहसा आकर हरण कर लेता है
kālo harati samprāpto nadī-vega iva drumam |
Bhīṣma disse: Quando o Tempo chega, ele arrebata uma pessoa como a súbita cheia do rio arranca uma árvore da margem. Do mesmo modo, o homem que vive dizendo: “Farei isto hoje e terminarei aquilo amanhã” é de repente tomado e levado pelo Tempo.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not rely on postponement. Life is uncertain, and when Time (death) arrives it can take one away abruptly; therefore one should act with urgency in dharma and meaningful duties.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma is advising Yudhiṣṭhira through moral counsel. Here he uses a vivid simile—an unexpected river surge uprooting a tree—to warn that Time can suddenly end a person’s plans.