Shloka 7
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 58: Yudhiṣṭhira’s dawn rites, royal gifts, and the reception of Kṛṣṇa
यावत्य: सिकता गाड्ग्यो यावन्मेरोर्महोपला: । उदन्वति च यावन्ति रत्नानि प्राणिनोडपि च
yāvatyaḥ sikatā gāḍgya yāvan meror mahopalāḥ | udanvati ca yāvanti ratnāni prāṇino 'ḍapi ca ||
ନାରଦ କହିଲେ—ହେ ଗାଡ୍ଗ୍ୟ! ଯେତେ ବାଲୁକଣା ଅଛି, ଯେତେ ସୁମେରୁର ମହାଶିଳାଖଣ୍ଡ ଅଛି, ଏବଂ ସମୁଦ୍ରରେ ଯେତେ ରତ୍ନ ଅଛି—ସେତେଇ ପ୍ରାଣୀ ମଧ୍ୟ ଅଛନ୍ତି।
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a sense of immeasurable scale: living beings are beyond counting, like sand-grains, Meru’s boulders, and ocean-jewels. Ethically, it urges humility and compassion—especially in a war context—by reminding the listener that life is vast and precious, not a mere statistic of conflict.
Nārada addresses the sage Gāḍgya and uses cosmic comparisons (sand, Meru’s rocks, ocean gems) to emphasize the innumerability of beings. The line functions as a reflective, instructive utterance within the Drona Parva’s broader war setting, momentarily shifting attention from battlefield events to a larger moral and metaphysical perspective.