Shloka 19

कालनिर्णयः, युगधर्मवर्णनम्, सृष्टिक्रमश्च

Time-Reckoning, Yuga-Dharma, and the Sequence of Creation

Devanagari script

सर्व काल: समादत्ते गम्भीर: स्वेन तेजसा । तस्मिन्‌ कालवशं प्राप्ते का व्यथा मे विजानतः

Transliteration

sarvaḥ kālaḥ samādatte gambhīraḥ svena tejasā | tasmin kālavaśaṃ prāpte kā vyathā me vijānataḥ ||

Translation

शक्र उवाच—सर्वान् कालः समादत्ते गम्भीरः स्वेन तेजसा। तस्मिन् कालवशं प्राप्ते का व्यथा मे विजानतः॥

Word by Word

• सर्वः: all, entire
• सर्वः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कालः: Time (Death)
• कालः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समादत्ते: takes up, seizes, carries off
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-दा
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• गम्भीरः: deep, unfathomable, formidable
• गम्भीरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम्भीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वेन: by his/its own
• स्वेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective (pronominal)
• Root: स्व
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• तेजसा: by splendor/power
• तेजसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• तस्मिन्: in that (time/condition)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कालवशम्: under the control of Time
• Type: Noun (used adverbially)
• Root: काल-वश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्राप्ते: when (it is) reached/when it has come
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb (past participle)
• Root: प्र-आप्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• का: what?
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• व्यथा: distress, pain, anxiety
• व्यथा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यथा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• मे: of me / to me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• विजानतः: of (me) who knows/understands
• Type: Verb (present participle)
• Root: वि-ज्ञा
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

श॒क्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Kāla (Time)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Time (kāla) inevitably overpowers all beings regardless of learning, strength, beauty, or fortune; therefore, one who truly understands impermanence should not be shaken by grief when events unfold under Time’s dominion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śakra (Indra) speaks reflectively, asserting that since all are inevitably taken by profound Time, he—being aware of the world’s transience—finds no basis for personal anguish when circumstances fall under Time’s control.