Shloka 26

Devanagari script

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

Transliteration

ata ūrdhvaṁ mahārāja guṇasyaitasya tattvataḥ | mahātmabhir anuproktāṁ kālasaṅkhyāṁ nibodha me ||

Translation

Now then, O great king, learn from me—according to its true principle—the reckoning of time that governs this world of the guṇas, just as the great-souled sages have handed it down and explained it.

Word by Word

अतःtherefore; hence; from this

ऊर्ध्वम्afterwards; further; above

महाराजO great king

गुणस्यof the quality/guṇa

एतस्यof this

तत्त्वतःin reality; truly; according to the truth

महात्मभिःby great-souled ones

अनुप्रोक्ताम्taught/declared (in succession); handed down

कालसंख्याम्the reckoning/measure of time

निबोधunderstand; learn; hear attentively

मेfrom me / to me (context: from me)

महाराजO great king

Speaker

याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yājñavalkya

Mahārāja (the king addressed)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.