Shloka 28
Kuntī’s Prayers and the Neutralization of the Brahmāstra
Uttarā Protected; Yudhiṣṭhira’s Grief Begins
मन्ये त्वां कालमीशानमनादिनिधनं विभुम् । समं चरन्तं सर्वत्र भूतानां यन्मिथ: कलि: ॥ २८ ॥
manye tvāṁ kālam īśānam anādi-nidhanaṁ vibhum samaṁ carantaṁ sarvatra bhūtānāṁ yan mithaḥ kaliḥ
ప్రభూ! మిమ్మల్ని నేను శాశ్వత కాలంగా, పరమ నియంతగా, ఆది-అంతరహిత సర్వవ్యాపిగా భావిస్తున్నాను. కృపా పంపిణీలో మీరు అందరికీ సమం; జీవుల మధ్య కలహం పరస్పర సంగమం వల్లే కలుగుతుంది.
Kuntīdevī knew that Kṛṣṇa was neither her nephew nor an ordinary family member of her paternal house. She knew perfectly well that Kṛṣṇa is the primeval Lord who lives in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul, Paramātmā. Another name of the Paramātmā feature of the Lord is kāla, or eternal time. Eternal time is the witness of all our actions, good and bad, and thus resultant reactions are destined by Him. It is no use saying that we do not know why and for what we are suffering. We may forget the misdeed for which we may suffer at this present moment, but we must remember that Paramātmā is our constant companion, and therefore He knows everything, past, present and future. And because the Paramātmā feature of Lord Kṛṣṇa destines all actions and reactions, He is the supreme controller also. Without His sanction not a blade of grass can move. The living beings are given as much freedom as they deserve, and misuse of that freedom is the cause of suffering. The devotees of the Lord do not misuse their freedom, and therefore they are the good sons of the Lord. Others, who misuse freedom, are put into miseries destined by the eternal kāla. The kāla offers the conditioned souls both happiness and miseries. It is all predestined by eternal time. As we have miseries uncalled-for, so we may have happiness also without being asked, for they are all predestined by kāla. No one is therefore either an enemy or friend of the Lord. Everyone is suffering and enjoying the result of his own destiny. This destiny is made by the living beings in course of social intercourse. Everyone here wants to lord it over the material nature, and thus everyone creates his own destiny under the supervision of the Supreme Lord. He is all-pervading and therefore He can see everyone’s activities. And because the Lord has no beginning or end, He is known also as the eternal time, kāla.
FAQs
In this verse, Kuntī identifies Krishna with Kāla—beginningless, endless, all-pervading Time—who moves everywhere equally and governs the unfolding of events.
Kuntī is acknowledging Krishna’s supreme governance: even conflicts that arise mutually among living beings occur under the overarching control of the Lord as Time, who administers the results of karma and the flow of destiny.
It encourages humility and steadiness: while we should act responsibly and ethically, we can remember that outcomes unfold under divine providence, reducing ego, anxiety, and reactive anger.