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Shloka 52

Dasyu-maryādā and Buddhi-guided Rāja-nīti (दस्युमर्यादा तथा बुद्धिप्रधान-राजनीति)

कुछ लोग एक साथ ही मारे जाते हैं; कुछ एक-एक करके मरते हैं और बहुत-से लोग दीर्घकालतक मरते ही नहीं हैं। जैसे आग ईंधनको पाकर उसे जला देती है, उसी प्रकार काल ही समस्त प्राणियोंको दग्ध कर देता है ।।

brāhmadatta uvāca |

kecid yugapad eva hanyante; kecid ekaikaśo mriyante; bahavaś ca dīrghakālaṃ naiva mriyante | yathā agnir indhanaṃ prāpya tad dahati, tathā kāla eva sarvaprāṇinaḥ dagdhān karoti ||

nāhaṃ pramāṇaṃ naiva tvam anyonyaṃ kāraṇaṃ śubhe |

kālo nityam upādatte sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ ca dehinām ||

Brahmadatta nói: “Có kẻ bị giết trong một lúc; có kẻ chết từng người một; và nhiều người rất lâu mới chết. Như lửa gặp củi liền thiêu rụi, cũng vậy, chính Thời gian (Kāla) thiêu đốt mọi loài hữu tình. Trong những điều sai trái giữa chúng ta, nàng không phải là nguyên nhân chân thật, mà ta cũng chẳng phải là duyên cớ thực. Chỉ có Thời gian luôn luôn phân định và làm phát sinh vui sướng cùng đau khổ cho các hữu thân.”

not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
अहम्I
अहम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअहम्
Formcommon, nominative, singular
प्रमाणम्proof; authority; decisive cause
प्रमाणम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootप्रमाण
Formneuter, accusative, singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
एवindeed; just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
त्वम्you
त्वम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootत्वम्
Formcommon, nominative, singular
अन्योन्यम्mutually; one another
अन्योन्यम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअन्योन्य
कारणम्cause
कारणम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकारण
Formneuter, accusative, singular
शुभेO auspicious one (address)
शुभे:
TypeAdjective
Rootशुभ
Formfeminine, vocative, singular
कालःTime; Fate
कालः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकाल
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
नित्यम्always
नित्यम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनित्य
उपादत्तेtakes up; brings about; dispenses
उपादत्ते:
TypeVerb
Rootउप-आ-दा
Formpresent (lat), 3rd, singular, ātmanepada
सुखम्happiness
सुखम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसुख
Formneuter, accusative, singular
दुःखम्sorrow
दुःखम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootदुःख
Formneuter, accusative, singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
देहिनाम्of embodied beings
देहिनाम्:
TypeNoun
Rootदेहिन्
Formmasculine, genitive, plural

ब्रह्मदत्त उवाच

ब्रह्मदत्त (Brāhmadatta)
काल (Kāla, Time)
अग्नि (Agni, fire)

Educational Q&A

The verse emphasizes Kāla (Time) as the overarching force that determines the arising of pleasure and pain and the timing of death. It counsels restraint from personal blame in mutual offenses, pointing toward detachment and a broader, dharmic understanding of causality.

Brahmadatta addresses a woman (“śubhe”), reflecting on how beings die in different ways and at different times. He reframes a conflict or wrongdoing between them by denying that either party is the ultimate cause, attributing outcomes to Kāla, the cosmic principle that governs embodied life.