Shloka 79
Śama-prāptiḥ — Gautamī–Lubdhaka–Pannaga–Mṛtyu–Kāla-saṃvāda
Restraint through the Analysis of Karma and Time
मया च तत् कृतं कर्म येनायं मे मृत: सुतः । यातु कालस्तथा मृत्युर्मुज्चार्जुनक पन्नगम्,अर्जुनक! मैंने भी वैसा कर्म किया था जिससे मेरा पुत्र मर गया है। अत: काल और मृत्यु अपने-अपने स्थानको पधारें; और तू इस सर्पको छोड़ दे
mayā ca tat kṛtaṃ karma yenāyaṃ me mṛtaḥ sutaḥ | yātu kālas tathā mṛtyur muñcārjunaka pannagam ||
అర్జునకా! నా కుమారుడు మరణించడానికి కారణమైన అటువంటి కర్మను నేనూ ఒకప్పుడు చేశాను. కాబట్టి కాలమూ మృత్యువూ తమ తమ స్థానాలకు వెళ్లుగాక; నీవు ఈ సర్పాన్ని విడిచిపెట్టు.
काल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores karmic accountability and restraint: even a powerful being like Kāla acknowledges that a deed can rebound upon oneself (his son died due to his own act). Therefore punishment or seizure should not be driven by anger or excess; once the moral point is made, one should return to proper limits—Kāla and Mṛtyu to their domains, and the serpent should be released.
Kāla speaks to Arjunaka, admitting that he too committed an act that led to his own son's death. On that basis he calls for a cessation of the present act of coercion: Kāla and Mṛtyu should withdraw, and Arjunaka should let the serpent go, signaling a resolution and a return to order.