Shloka 25
यमसभावर्णनम् (Yamasabhā-varṇanam) — Nārada’s Description of Dharmarāja’s Assembly
पलाशानां शतं ज्ञेयं शतं काशकुशादय: । शान्तनुश्लैव राजेन्द्र पाण्डुश्वैव पिता तव
palāśānāṁ śataṁ jñeyaṁ śataṁ kāśa-kuśādayaḥ | śāntanuś caiva rājendra pāṇḍuś caiva pitā tava ||
Nārada dit : «Sache qu’il y a cent arbres Palāśa, et de même cent touffes d’herbe kāśa, d’herbe kuśa et autres semblables. Et, ô roi, Śāntanu aussi — et Pāṇḍu aussi — est ton père.»
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse functions as a didactic reminder to “know” and keep track of enumerated facts—here, a count of natural items and a clarification of royal lineage—underscoring the importance of accurate knowledge in matters of heritage and kingship.
Nārada addresses the king and states an enumeration (hundreds of certain trees and grasses), then explicitly names Śāntanu and Pāṇḍu in connection with the king’s paternal lineage, situating the listener within the Kuru dynastic framework.