Shloka 22
आपद्धर्मे राज्ञः नीतिः — Bharadvāja’s Counsel on Crisis-Statecraft (Śānti Parva 138)
पृथिवी देश इत्युक्त: काल: स च न दृश्यते । अभिप्रेतार्थसिद्धयर्थ ध्यायते यच्च तत्तथा
bhīṣma uvāca | pṛthivī deśa ity uktaḥ kālaḥ sa ca na dṛśyate | abhipretārthasiddhyarthaṃ dhyāyate yac ca tat tathā | kāṣṭhāḥ kalā muhurtaṃ dinaṃ rātriḥ lavaḥ māsaḥ pakṣaḥ ṣaḍṛtavaḥ saṃvatsaraḥ kalpaś ca—ime ‘kāla’ iti kathyante; pṛthivī tu ‘deśa’ ity ucyate | eteṣu deśasya tu darśanaṃ bhavati, kālas tu na dṛśyate | iṣṭamanorathasiddhaye yaṃ deśaṃ kālaṃ ca upayoginaṃ manyamānaḥ vicārayati, taṃ yathāvat grahītavyam |
Wika ni Bhishma: “Ang lupa ay tinatawag na ‘lugar’ (deśa), samantalang ang ‘panahon’ (kāla) ay tinatawag ngang gayon ngunit hindi nakikita. Ang panahon ay binabanggit sa pamamagitan ng mga sukat nito: kāṣṭhā, kalā, muhūrta, araw at gabi, lava, buwan, kalahating-buwan, anim na panahon, taon, at kalpa—iyan ang ‘panahon’; at ang lupa ang ‘lugar’. Sa dalawa, ang lugar ay nakikita, ngunit ang panahon ay hindi. Kaya, upang matupad ang ninanais na layunin, dapat maunawaang wasto at mapili ang lugar at oras na tunay na angkop, matapos pagnilayan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that ‘place’ is directly perceptible but ‘time’ is grasped through its conventional measures; therefore, to succeed in any intended undertaking, one must thoughtfully select and correctly understand the appropriate place and time.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Bhishma continues his didactic discourse, defining ‘deśa’ (place) and ‘kāla’ (time), listing time-units, and advising careful discernment of the proper context (where and when) for action.