Shloka 26
Śukasya Janma-yoga-phalaṁ — Vyāsasya Tapasā Putrārthaḥ (Śānti-parva 310)
अत ऊर्ध्व॑ महाराज गुणस्यैतस्य तत्त्वतः । महात्मभिरनुप्रोक्तां कालसंख्यां निबोध मे,महाराज! अब इसके बाद महात्मा पुरुषोंद्वारा बतायी गयी इस गुणमयी सृष्टिकी कालसंख्या भी मुझसे यथावत््रूपसे सुनो
ata ūrdhvaṁ mahārāja guṇasyaitasya tattvataḥ | mahātmabhir anuproktāṁ kālasaṅkhyāṁ nibodha me ||
Nun denn, o großer König, erkenne von mir, seinem wahren Grundsatz gemäß, die Zeitrechnung, die diese Welt der guṇa beherrscht—so, wie sie von großherzigen Weisen überliefert und erläutert worden ist.
याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The speaker signals a transition to a doctrinal exposition: the traditional, sage-taught ‘reckoning of time’ that structures guṇa-based creation is to be explained accurately (tattvataḥ). The emphasis is on faithful transmission and correct understanding of cosmological order.
Yājñavalkya addresses the king and announces the next topic in the instruction: after discussing the nature of the guṇas, he will now teach the cosmological chronology/time-measures as preserved by great sages.