Shloka 1

Śuka’s Manifestation from the Araṇi (Āraṇeya-janma) — शुकजन्म (आरणेय-सम्भव)

Devanagari script

ऑपन- मा छा अप ऋाल एकादशाधिकत्रिशततमो< ध्याय: अव्यक्त

Transliteration

Yājñavalkya uvāca: Avyaktasya naraśreṣṭha kālasaṅkhyāṃ nibodha me | pañca-kalpa-sahasrāṇi dviguṇāny ahar ucyate ||

Translation

Yājñavalkya sprach: „O Bester der Menschen, erfahre von mir das Zeitmaß, das dem Unmanifesten (Avyakta) zukommt. Von fünftausend Kalpas ist die Rede; und ein ‘Tag’ soll das Doppelte davon sein.“

Word by Word

• याज्ञवल्क्यः: Yājñavalkya
• याज्ञवल्क्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: याज्ञवल्क्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अव्यक्तस्य: of the unmanifest (principle)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अव्यक्त
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• नरश्रेष्ठ: O best of men
• नरश्रेष्ठ: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरश्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कालसंख्याम्: the time-count (measure of time)
• कालसंख्याम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालसंख्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• निबोध: understand; learn
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मे: of me; from me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• पञ्च: five
• Type: Numeral
• Root: पञ्च

• कल्पसहस्राणि: thousands of kalpas
• कल्पसहस्राणि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्पसहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• द्विगुणानि: twofold; doubled
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विगुण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• अहः: a day (daytime)
• अहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• उच्यते: is said; is called
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada, Indicative

Speaker

याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya
• Avyakta (the Unmanifest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse introduces a cosmological reckoning of time connected with the Avyakta (Unmanifest), presenting vast measures (kalpas) to frame creation and dissolution within an ordered, intelligible temporal scale.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s philosophical discourse, the sage Yājñavalkya begins instructing his listener by defining the ‘count of time’ for the Unmanifest, setting up a broader explanation of cosmic principles and the process of creation.