Shloka 12

Devanagari script

न वेद परिमाणं वा संस्थान चापि भारत | न च रूपं मया तादूृग्‌ दृष्टपूर्व कदाचन,भारत! उसकी लंबाई-चौड़ाई कितनी है अथवा उसकी स्थिति कया है, यह सब मैं कुछ नहीं जानता। मैंने किसी भी सभाका वैसा स्वरूप पहले कभी नहीं देखा था

Transliteration

na veda parimāṇaṃ vā saṃsthānaṃ cāpi bhārata | na ca rūpaṃ mayā tādṛg dṛṣṭapūrvaṃ kadācana ||

Translation

Nārada said: “O Bhārata, I do not know its measure or extent, nor even its arrangement and disposition. Never before have I seen a hall of such a form.”

Word by Word

नnot

वेदknows

परिमाणम्measure, extent

वाor

संस्थानम्form, arrangement, structure

चand

अपिalso, even

भारतO Bharata

नnot

चand

रूपम्form, appearance

मयाby me

तादृक्such, of that kind

दृष्टपूर्वम्seen before, previously seen

कदाचनever, at any time

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Bhārata (Yudhiṣṭhira, addressed)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the limits of even a wise observer’s knowledge when confronted with extraordinary craftsmanship and grandeur; it underscores intellectual humility and truthful speech—admitting what one does not know.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada, speaking to Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as Bhārata), expresses astonishment at a magnificent assembly hall, stating that he cannot determine its dimensions or arrangement and that he has never seen anything like it before.