Mahabharata · 7.61.37–38
॥
Devanāgarī
इत्य् अहं विलपन् सूत बहुशः पुत्रम् उक्तवान् ॥
न च मे श्रुतवान् मूढो मन्ये कालस्य पर्ययम् ॥
वृकोदरार्जुनौ यत्र वृष्णिवीरश् च सात्यकिः ॥
उत्तमौजाश् च पाञ्चाल्यो युधामन्युश् च दुर्जयः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
ity ahaṃ vilapan sūta bahuśaḥ putram uktavān ||
na ca me śrutavān mūḍho manye kālasya paryayam ||
vṛkodarārjunau yatra vṛṣṇivīraś ca sātyakiḥ ||
uttamaujāś ca pāñcālyo yudhāmanyuś ca durjayaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
इति अहम् विलपन् सूतiti aham vilapan sūtathus I, lamenting, O suta; thus I, wailing, O suta
बहुशः पुत्रम् उक्तवान्bahuśaḥ putram uktavānrepeatedly spoke to my son; repeatedly told my son
न च मे श्रुतवान् मूढःna ca me śrutavān mūḍhaḥand the fool did not heed me; and the fool did not listen to me
मन्ये कालस्य पर्ययम्manye kālasya paryayamI think — the turning of Time; I deem — the turning of Time
वृकोदरार्जुनौ यत्रvṛkodarārjunau yatra[there,] where Vrikodara [Bhima] and Arjuna; where Vrikodara and Arjuna
वृष्णिवीरः च सात्यकिःvṛṣṇivīraḥ ca sātyakiḥand the Vrishni hero Satyaki; and the Vrishni champion Satyaki
उत्तमौजाः च पाञ्चाल्यःuttamaujāḥ ca pāñcālyaḥand the Panchala Uttamaujas; and the Panchala Uttamaujas
युधामन्युः च दुर्जयःyudhāmanyuḥ ca durjayaḥand Yudhamanyu, unconquerable; and Yudhamanyu, unconquerable
Translation
"Thus I, lamenting, O suta, repeatedly spoke to my son, and the fool did not heed me; I think it is the turning of Time. There, where Vrikodara [Bhima] and Arjuna are, and the Vrishni hero Satyaki, and the Panchala Uttamaujas, and unconquerable Yudhamanyu…"
Version
83667df3d23b · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
"Na ca me śrutavān mūḍhaḥ", "the fool did not heed me" — but behind this reproach to his son lies a reproach to himself: the counsel was given, but without power behind it. "Manye kālasya paryayam", "I think it is the turning of Time" — the king partly hides his guilt behind fate. This doubling is telling: both a truth about fate and an evasion of responsibility. The verse warns against the convenient habit of blaming everything on Time: fate acts, but it does not cancel duty; and whoever appeals to the "turning of Time" where he himself failed to use the power given him for good only softens, before his own eyes, his own neglect.