Shloka 73
कालके उलट-फेरसे ही इस विचित्र जीवलोकमें तुम सबके आराध्य बन गये हो। भला बताओ तो तुम कौन-सा शुभ कर्म करके आज इन्द्र हो गये और हम कौन-सा अशुभ कर्म करके इन्द्रपदसे नीचे गिर गये ।। काल: कर्ता विकर्ता च सर्वमन्यदकारणम् | नाशं विनाशमैश्वर्य सुखं दुःखं भवाभवौ
kālaḥ kartā vikartā ca sarvam anyad akāraṇam | nāśaṁ vināśam aiśvaryaṁ sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ bhavābhavau ||
भीष्म उवाच—कालः कर्ता विकर्ता च सर्वमन्यदकारणम्। नाशं विनाशमैश्वर्यं सुखं दुःखं भवाभवौ॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that Kāla (Time) is the decisive power behind creation, change, prosperity, and ruin; therefore one should not become arrogant in success or despair in failure, but act with steadiness and humility within dharma.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction setting, Bhishma explains to the listener that reversals of status—rise to sovereignty and fall from it—are governed by Time’s turning, framing human fortune within a larger cosmic order rather than mere personal merit or blame.