Shloka 5
नरनारायण-नारदसंवादः
Nara-Nārāyaṇa–Nārada Discourse on Vision, Elements, and Entry into Vāsudeva
स्रवन्ति न निवर्तन्ते स्रोतांसि सरितामिव । आयुरादाय मर्त्यानां रात्यहानि पुनः पुन:,जैसे नदियोंका प्रवाह आगेकी ओर ही बढ़ता चला जाता है, पीछेकी ओर नहीं लौटता, उसी प्रकार रात और दिन भी मनुष्योंकी आयुका अपहरण करते हुए बारंबार आते और बीतते चले जाते हैं
sravanti na nivartante srotāṃsi saritām iva | āyur ādāya martyānāṃ rātry-ahāni punaḥ punaḥ ||
Nārada disse: “Assim como as correntes dos rios seguem adiante e nunca voltam atrás, assim também a noite e o dia vêm e passam repetidas vezes—e a cada vez levam consigo uma parte da vida dos mortais.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Time is irreversible: like a river’s current, it never returns. Therefore one should not waste life in heedlessness; night and day continually diminish one’s remaining lifespan, urging timely practice of dharma and inner discipline.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and right living, Nārada delivers a reflective warning using a natural metaphor: the unreturning flow of rivers illustrates how days and nights repeatedly pass, steadily taking away human life.