Shloka 21
Adhyāya 136: Yavakrī–Bharadvāja Saṃvāda and the Bāladhī–Dhanuṣākṣa Gāthā
Arrogance, Boons, and Nimitta
कालेन महता वेदा: शक््या गुरुमुखाद् विभो । प्राप्तुं तस्मादयं यत्न: परमो मे समास्थित:,प्रभो! गुरुके मुखसे दीर्घकालके पश्चात् वेदोंका ज्ञान हो सकता है। अतः मेरा यह महान् प्रयत्न शीघ्र ही सम्पूर्ण वेदोंका ज्ञान प्राप्त करनेके लिये है
kālena mahatā vedāḥ śakyā gurumukhād vibho | prāptuṁ tasmād ayaṁ yatnaḥ paramo me samāsthitaḥ ||
Yavakrīta said: “O mighty one, the Vedas can indeed be obtained from the mouth of a teacher—but only after a very long time. Therefore I have undertaken this supreme effort of mine, seeking to gain complete knowledge of the Vedas quickly.”
यवक्रीत उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sacred knowledge is traditionally gained through sustained, patient learning from a guru; the verse highlights the tension between disciplined apprenticeship and the desire for rapid mastery.
Yavakrīta explains his motivation: since learning the Vedas from a teacher takes a long time, he has resolved upon an extraordinary effort to obtain complete Vedic knowledge swiftly.