FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.9.14

सर्वं कालकृतं मन्ये भवतां च यदप्रियम् । सपालो यद्वशे लोको वायोरिव घनावलि: ॥ १४ ॥
sarvaṁ kāla-kṛtaṁ manye
[sarvam kaala-kritam manye]
bhavatāṁ ca yad-apriyam
[bhavataam cha yad-apriyam]
sapālo yad-vaśe loko
[sapaalo yad-vashe loko]
vāyor iva ghanāvaliḥ
[vaayor iva ghanaavalih]
sarvam — all this kāla-kṛtam — done by inevitable time manye — I think bhavatām ca — for you also yat — whatever apriyam — detestable sa-pālaḥ — with the rulers yat-vaśe — under the control of that time lokaḥ — everyone in every planet vāyoḥ — the wind carries iva — as ghana-āvaliḥ — a line of clouds.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sarvaṁ kāla-kṛtaṁ manye
sarvam
all this
kāla-kṛtam
done by inevitable time
manye
I think
bhavatāṁ ca yad-apriyam
bhavatām ca
for you also
yat
whatever
apriyam
detestable
sapālo yad-vaśe loko
sa-pālaḥ
with the rulers
yat-vaśe
under the control of that time
lokaḥ
everyone in every planet
vāyor iva ghanāvaliḥ
vāyoḥ
the wind carries
iva
as
ghana-āvaliḥ
a line of clouds.
In my opinion, this is all due to inevitable time, under whose control everyone in every planet is carried, just as the clouds are carried by the wind.

There is control by time all over the space within the universe, as there is control by time all over the planets. All the big gigantic planets, including the sun, are being controlled by the force of air, as the clouds are carried by the force of air. Similarly, the inevitable kāla, or time, controls even the action of the air and other elements. Everything, therefore, is controlled by the supreme kāla, a forceful representative of the Lord within the material world. Thus Yudhiṣṭhira should not be sorry for the inconceivable action of time. Everyone has to bear the actions and reactions of time as long as one is within the conditions of the material world. Yudhiṣṭhira should not think that he had committed sins in his previous birth and is suffering the consequence. Even the most pious has to suffer the condition of material nature. But a pious man is faithful to the Lord, for he is guided by the bona fide brāhmaṇa and Vaiṣṇava following the religious principles. These three guiding principles should be the aim of life. One should not be disturbed by the tricks of eternal time. Even the great controller of the universe, Brahmājī, is also under the control of that time; therefore, one should not grudge being thus controlled by time despite being a true follower of religious principles.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
I consider that this, which is unwelcome, has all been done to you by time, which controls the world and its protectors just as the wind controls the clouds.
Commentary

What is the cause of our suffering? It cannot be said, since I do not see either recent or old karmas as the cause. Therefore Bhīṣma speaks words of the common people.

“But time is simply the substratum of the experience of happiness and distress which are prārabdha-karmas. Thus, when you say that time is the cause, time is acting as an assistant. Why do you not just say clearly that our suffering is our prārabdha-karma resulting from our sins?”

Yudhiṣṭhira is well known as the direct incarnation of dharma. If Dharma (Yudhiṣṭhira) has prārabdha-karmas, how can he have any sense of dharma? The cause is not karma, but time, which cannot be countered and cannot be explained.

All this is due to inevitable time, under whose control everyone is carried like clouds by wind. Time is the great mover; we are not as much in charge as we think.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I taking personal credit or blame for what time alone moved?
  • How does seeing myself as a cloud rather than the wind ease me?
📝 My note

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