Shloka 36

शुकवाक्यं (Śuka’s Report on the Vānara Host) / Śuka Describes the Allied Forces to Rāvaṇa

Devanagari script

शतंशङ्कुसहस्राणांमहाशङ्कु: इतिस्मृतः ।।6.28.34।।महाशङ्कुसहस्राणांशतंबृन्दमिहोच्यते ।शतंबृन्दसहस्राणांमहावृन्दमितिस्मृतम् ।।6.28.35।।महाबृन्दसहस्राणांशतंपद्ममिहोच्यते ।शतंपद्मसहस्राणांमहापद्ममितिस्मृतिम् ।।6.28.36।।महापद्मसहस्राणांशतंखर्वमिहोच्यते ।शतंखर्वसहस्राणांमहाखर्वमिवोच्यते ।।6.28.37।।महाखर्वसहस्राणांसमुद्रमभिधीयते ।तंसमुद्रसाहस्रमोघइत्यभिधीयते ।।6.28.38।।शतमोघसहस्राणांमहौघइतिविश्रुतः ।

Transliteration

mahābṛndasahasrāṇāṃ śataṃ padmam ihocyate |

śataṃ padmasahasrāṇāṃ mahāpadmam iti smṛtim ||6.28.36||

Translation

Hier werden hunderttausend Mahābṛndas Padma genannt; und hunderttausend Padmas gelten als Mahāpadma.

Word by Word

• महाबृन्द: a ‘mahā-bṛnda’ (great bṛnda; a named large number)
• महाबृन्द: कर्म (object, as the counted unit in genitive construction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + बृन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (समासान्त-प्रातिपदिकम्: महाबृन्दम्)

• सहस्राणाम्: of thousands
• सहस्राणाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation: ‘of thousands’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्तिः; बहुवचनम्

• महाबृन्दसहस्राणाम्: of thousands of mahābṛndas
• महाबृन्दसहस्राणाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of (the) thousands of mahābṛndas’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबृन्द (समास-प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्तिः; बहुवचनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: महाबृन्दानां सहस्राणि → महाबृन्दसहस्राणि; तेषाम्)

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: कर्म (object-number with passive verb: ‘is said (to be) a hundred’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (संख्यावाचक-नाम)

• पद्मम्: padma (a named large number)
• पद्मम्: कर्म/प्रत्ययार्थ-नाम (predicative complement: ‘(is called) padma’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्तिः; एकवचनम्

• इह: here; in this context
• इह: अधिकरण (locative sense via adverb: ‘here’)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place: ‘here/in this system’)

• उच्यते: is said; is called
• उच्यते: क्रिया (verbal action: ‘is said/called’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + यक् (कर्मणि-प्रयोग)
• Form: लट्-लकारः; प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive)

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: कर्म (object-number in the next genitive construction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (संख्यावाचक-नाम)

• पद्म: padma
• पद्म: सम्बन्ध (as first member in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• सहस्राणाम्: of thousands
• सहस्राणाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of thousands’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्तिः; बहुवचनम्

• पद्मसहस्राणाम्: of thousands of padmas
• पद्मसहस्राणाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of (the) thousands of padmas’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्तिः; बहुवचनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: पद्मानां सहस्राणि → पद्मसहस्राणि; तेषाम्)

• महापद्मम्: mahāpadma (a named larger number)
• महापद्मम्: कर्म/प्रत्ययार्थ-नाम (predicative complement: ‘(is) mahāpadma’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (समासान्त-प्रातिपदिकम्: महापद्मम्)

• इति: thus; as (named)
• इति: सम्बन्ध (marker of quotation/naming)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक-अव्ययम् (quotative particle)

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/known (as)
• स्मृतम्: क्रिया (predicative verbal notion: ‘is known/considered’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्तिः; एकवचनम्; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (past passive participle used predicatively: ‘is remembered/known’)

Context

A lakh of Sanku is known as Maha Sanku. A lakh of Maha Shanka is spoken as Vrinda. A lakh of Vrindas is spoken as Maha Brinda. A lakh of Maha Vrindas is known as Padma. One lakh Padmas is known as Maha Padma and a lakh of Maha Padmas is known as Kharva. A lakh of Kharvas is known as Maha Kharva and a lakh of Maha Kharvas is known as a Samudra. A lakh of Samudras is known as an Ogha. A lakh of Oghas is popularly known as Maha Ogha.

Characters & Entities

• mahābṛnda
• padma
• mahāpadma

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma in learning is correctness and continuity—preserving standard meanings so truth can be communicated across generations.

What is the narrative situation?

Further steps in a traditional large-number ladder are being defined.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Commitment to accurate knowledge (jñāna) as a support for truthful counsel (satya).