Shloka 41
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
Devanagari script
बहूनीन्द्रसहस्राणि दैवतानां युगे युगे । अभ्यतीतानि कालेन कालो हि दुरतिक्रम:
Transliteration
bahūnīndra-sahasrāṇi daivatānāṃ yuge yuge | abhyatītāni kālena kālo hi duratikramaḥ ||
Translation
毗湿摩说道：“在每一个时代，诸天之中无数千千万万的因陀罗更迭替换，皆已落入时间的巨口。故而，时间确实是任何人都极难逾越或战胜的。”
Word by Word
बहूनिmany
बहूनि:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootबहु
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
इन्द्रसहस्राणिthousands of Indras
इन्द्रसहस्राणि:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootइन्द्रसहस्र
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
दैवतानाम्of the deities
दैवतानाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootदैवता
FormNeuter, Genitive, Plural
युगेin an age
युगे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootयुग
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
युगेin (each) age
युगे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootयुग
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
अभ्यतीतानिhave passed away / elapsed
अभ्यतीतानि:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootअभि-√इ (अत्येति)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle), Passive (participial)
कालेनby time
कालेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootकाल
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
कालःtime
कालः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकाल
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
हिindeed / for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
दुरतिक्रमःhard to overstep / insurmountable
दुरतिक्रमः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootदुरतिक्रम
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhishmaI
IndraD
Deities (Daivatas)T
Time (Kala)Y
YugaCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Even the highest cosmic positions (like Indra) are transient; Time (kāla) inevitably replaces all. Hence one should cultivate humility, detachment, and alignment with dharma rather than pride in power or status.
Bhishma, instructing on dharma and the nature of worldly and heavenly power, emphasizes that across successive ages innumerable Indras have come and gone, illustrating Time’s irresistible dominion.