Shloka 8

Varuṇa’s Bestowal of the Gāṇḍīva and the Arming of Kṛṣṇa–Arjuna

Khāṇḍava Prelude

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण उवाच शतं शतसहसंर॑ तु सर्वमक्षय्यवाचकम्‌ | परिमाणं शतं त्वेतन्नेदमक्षय्यवाचकम्‌,ब्राह्मण बोले--'शत” और 'शतसहस्र” शब्द--ये सभी अनन्त संख्याके वाचक हैं, परंतु यहाँ जो मैंने 'शतं समा:” (तुमलोगोंको सौ वर्षोंतक ग्राह होनेके लिये) कहा है, उसमें शत शब्द सौ वर्षके परिमाणका ही वाचक है। अनन्तकालका वाचक नहीं है

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca | śataṁ śatasahasraṁ tu sarvam akṣayyavācakam | parimāṇaṁ śataṁ tv etan nedaṁ akṣayyavācakam ||

Translation

Der Brahmane sprach: „Die Ausdrücke ‚hundert‘ und ‚hunderttausend‘ können im gewöhnlichen Sprachgebrauch als Zahlen für das Unzählbare dienen. Doch hier ist das von mir genannte ‚hundert‘ streng als ein bemessenes Maß zu verstehen—hundert (Jahre) an Umfang—und nicht als ein Wort, das endlose Zeit bezeichnet.“

Word by Word

• {'brāhmaṇaḥ': 'a Brahmin

• here, the speaker', 'uvāca': 'said

• spoke', 'śatam': 'a hundred

• also sometimes used idiomatically for ‘countless’', 'śatasahasram': 'a hundred thousand

• a very large number, sometimes hyperbolic', 'sarvam': 'all

• entirely', 'akṣayya-vācakam': 'denoting the inexhaustible/limitless

• a term used for hyperbolic or ‘countless’ sense', 'parimāṇam': 'measure

• definite extent', 'etat': 'this (here, this usage/statement)', 'na idam': 'not this

• not in this case', 'akṣayya-vācakam (negated)': 'not intended to mean ‘endless/innumerable’ here'}

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa (the Brahmin speaker)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Words can carry both literal and hyperbolic senses; dharmic speech requires clarity about intent. Here the speaker insists on the literal, measured meaning (‘one hundred’) rather than an indefinite ‘countless’ sense, emphasizing precision and truthfulness in commitments and instructions.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin clarifies the meaning of numerical terms he has used. Although ‘hundred’ and ‘hundred-thousand’ may sometimes be employed to suggest an immeasurably large amount, he explains that in this specific context he intends a definite measure—exactly one hundred (years)—not an endless duration.