Shloka 3

Atithi’s Direction to the Nāga-sage Padma at Naimiṣa (अतिथ्युपदेशः—नैमिषे पद्मनागोपाख्यानप्रस्तावः)

Devanagari script

सम्प्रक्षालनकाले>तिक्रान्ते चतुर्युगसहस्रान्ते अव्यक्ते सर्वभूते प्रलये सर्वभूतस्था वरजडूमे ज्योतिर्धरणिवायुरहिते5न्धे तमसि जलैकार्णवे लोके,एक सहस्र चतुर्युग बीत जानेपर सम्पूर्ण लोकोंके लिये प्रलयकाल आ पहुँचा था। समस्त भूतोंका अव्यक्तमें लय हो गया था। स्थावर-जंगम सभी प्राणी विलीन हो गये थे। पृथ्वी, तेज और वायुका कहीं पता नहीं था। चारों ओर घोर अन्धकार छा रहा था तथा समस्त संसार एकार्णवके जलमें निमग्न हो चुका था

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca | samprakṣālana-kāle 'tikrānte caturyuga-sahasrānte 'vyakte sarva-bhūte pralaye sarva-bhūta-sthāvare jaṅgame jyotir-dharaṇi-vāyu-rahite 'ndhe tamasi jalaikārṇave loke |

Translation

നാല്യുഗങ്ങളുടെ ആയിരം ചക്രങ്ങൾ കഴിഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ പ്രളയകാലം എത്തി. സകലഭൂതങ്ങളും അവ്യക്തത്തിൽ ലയിച്ചു; സ്ഥാവര-ജംഗമങ്ങളൊക്കെയും ലയിച്ചു. ഭൂമി, തേജസ് (അഗ്നി), വായു—ഒന്നും എവിടെയും കാണാനില്ല. ചുറ്റും ഘോരാന്ധകാരം വ്യാപിച്ചു; സർവ്വലോകവും ഏകാർണവജലത്തിൽ മുങ്ങിപ്പോയി.

Word by Word

सम्प्रक्षालनकालेat the time of dissolution/cleansing (cosmic dissolution-time)

अतिक्रान्तेwhen (it) had passed/elapsed

चतुर्युगसहस्रान्तेat the end of a thousand (sets of) four yugas

अव्यक्तेin the Unmanifest

सर्वभूतेin all beings / in the totality of beings

प्रलयेin dissolution

सर्वभूतस्थाexisting in all beings / pervading all beings

वरजडूमेin the excellent inert wave/expanse (i.e., the still primeval waters)

ज्योतिःlight

धरणिearth

वायुwind/air

रहितेdevoid of

अन्धेin darkness / in the blind (state)

तमसिin darkness

जलby/with water

एकार्णवेin the single ocean (one flood)

लोकेin the world

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

avyakta (the Unmanifest)

pralaya (cosmic dissolution)

caturyuga (four yugas)

ekārṇava (single cosmic ocean)

dharaṇī (earth)

jyotis/tejas (light/fire)

vāyu (wind/air)

tamas (darkness)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores impermanence at a cosmic scale: all manifested forms—beings and even the elements—withdraw into the Unmanifest during pralaya. It frames ethical reflection by reminding the listener that worldly power and possessions are transient, while deeper principles (dharma and knowledge of reality) endure in significance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna describes the onset of pralaya after an immense cosmic period (a thousand caturyugas). All creatures dissolve into the Unmanifest; the elemental supports of ordinary life (earth, fire/light, wind) are absent; darkness prevails; and the world is submerged in a single boundless ocean.