“Sakra said, ’Beholding this upraised arm of mine, equipped with the thunderbolt, and those nooses of Varuna, who is there whose understanding would not be agitated, including the very Destroyer himself that compasses the death of all beings?  Thy understanding, however, so firm and so endued with vision of the truth, hath not been agitated.  O thou of invincible prowess, verily, thou art unmoved today in consequence of thy fortitude.  Beholding all things in this universe to be fleeting, who is there in it, endued with body, that would venture to repose confidence on either his body or all the objects of his desire?  Like thyself I also know that this universe is not eternal, and that it has been thrown into Time’s conflagration that is dreadful though hidden from the view, that is continuously burning, and that is truly endless.  Every one is assailed here by Time.  Nothing among beings that are subtile or gross enjoys an immunity from Time’s sway.  All things are being cooked in Time’s cauldron.  Time has no master.  Time is ever heedful.  Time is always cooking all things within itself.  No one who has once entered the domain of Time which is ceaselessly going on, can escape therefrom.  All embodied beings may be heedless of Time, but Time is heedful and is broad awake behind them.  No one has ever been seen to have driven off Time from him.  Ancient and eternal, and the embodiment of justice, Time is uniform in respect of all living creatures.  Time cannot be avoided, and there is no retrogression in its course.  Like a usurer adding up his interest, Time adds up its subtile portions represented by kalas, and lavas, and kashthas, and kshanas, and months, and days and nights.  Like the current of a river washing away a tree whose roots are reached by it, Time, getting at him who says, ’This I will do today but this other act I will do tomorrow’ sweeps him away.  Time sweeps away one and men exclaim, ’I saw him a little while ago.  How has he died?’ Wealth, comforts, rank, prosperity, all fall a prey to Time.  Approaching every living creature, Time snatches away his life.  All things that proudly raise their heads high are destined to fall down.  That which is existent is only another form of the non-existent.  Everything is transitory and unstable.  Such a conviction is, however, difficult to come at.  Thy understanding, so firm and endued with true vision, is unmoved.  Thou dost not, even mentally, realise what thou wert some time ago.  Time that is strong, assailing the universe, cooks it within itself and sweeps away everything without consideration of seniority of years or the reverse.  For all that, one that is being dragged by Time is unconscious of the noose thrown round one’s neck.  People, given to jealousy and vanity and cupidity to lust, wrath, and fear, to desire, heedlessness, and pride, suffer themselves to be stupefied.  Thou, however, art acquainted with the truth of existence.  Thou art possessed of learning and endued with wisdom