Shloka 15
स्त्रीपर्व — नवमोऽध्यायः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra summons the Kuru women; the city departs in collective lamentation
यथा वायुस्तृणाग्राणि संवर्तयति सर्वत: । तथा कालवशं यान्ति भूतानि भरतर्षभ,“भरतश्रेष्ठ) जैसे वायु तिनकोंको सब ओर उड़ाती और गिराती रहती है, उसी प्रकार सारे प्राणी कालके अधीन होकर आते-जाते रहते हैं
yathā vāyus tṛṇāgrāṇi saṃvartayati sarvataḥ | tathā kālavaśaṃ yānti bhūtāni bharatarṣabha ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Ó touro dos Bhāratas, assim como o vento revolve e espalha as pontas da relva em todas as direções, assim também todos os seres, dominados pelo Tempo, são impelidos—vêm e vão sem domínio sobre o próprio curso.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that all beings are subject to Kāla (Time): like grass blown by wind, life’s movements—arrival, departure, rise, and fall—are not fully under personal control. Ethically, it supports humility, restraint in blame, and acceptance amid loss.
In Strī Parva’s lamentation context after the war, Vaiśampāyana conveys a consolatory reflection: the devastation and deaths are framed within the overpowering force of Time, using a vivid natural metaphor to explain the inevitability of change and mortality.