Shloka 16
त्रिवर्गमूलनिश्चयः — Determining the Roots of Dharma, Artha, and Kāma
Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 123
स गर्भ शिरसा देवो बहुवर्षाण्यधारयत् । पूर्णे वर्षमहस्रे तु स गर्भ: क्षुवतोडपतत्
sa garbhaśirasā devo bahuvarṣāṇy adhārayat | pūrṇe varṣasahasre tu sa garbhaḥ kṣuvatodapatat ||
婆苏诃罗摩说道：“那位神圣的存在将胚胎顶在头上，历经多年。待满一千年之时，他一声喷嚏，胚胎便滑落坠出——这表明：纵使久持之物，也会在时间与身体冲动相合的一瞬间骤然脱离。”
वसुहरोम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the power of time (kāla) and the inevitability of release: even something sustained for an immense duration can be undone suddenly by a small bodily act, suggesting that outcomes mature when their time is complete rather than merely by prolonged effort.
Vasuharoma narrates a marvel: a divine being carries an embryo on his head for many years; after a full thousand years, during a sneeze, the embryo slips and falls out—marking the moment of its emergence.