Shloka 16
Vidurā–Putra Saṃvāda: Utsāha, Kīrti, and Kṣātra Resolve
Udyoga-parva 131
कालो वा कारणं राज्ञो राजा वा कालकारणम् | इति ते संशयो मा भूद् राजा कालस्य कारणम्
kālo vā kāraṇaṁ rājño rājā vā kālakāraṇam | iti te saṁśayo mā bhūd rājā kālasya kāraṇam ||
“Thời gian là nguyên nhân của nhà vua, hay nhà vua là nguyên nhân khiến thời gian phát huy hiệu lực?” Chớ để nghi hoặc ấy khởi lên trong lòng ngươi; bởi chính nhà vua là nguyên nhân của Thời gian.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse argues for moral and political agency: instead of attributing outcomes to impersonal ‘Time,’ one should recognize the king’s responsibility. Through policy, punishment, protection, and justice, the ruler becomes the effective cause that makes events ripen—so accountability lies with governance, not with fate alone.
Vāyudeva addresses a listener’s uncertainty about whether events are driven by Kāla (Time/fate) or by the ruler’s choices. He resolves the dilemma by asserting that the king is the operative cause behind what is experienced as ‘Time’s’ effects, emphasizing the ethical weight of royal decision-making in the unfolding crisis of the Udyoga Parva.