Shloka 31

श्रेयो-धर्मकर्मविचारः

Inquiry into Śreyas, Dharma, and Karma

Devanagari script

“कितने ही जीव करोड़ों कल्पोंतक स्थावररूपसे एक स्थानमें स्थित रहते हैं और कितने ही उतने समयतक इधर-उधर विचरते रहते हैं। दैत्यप्रवर! प्रजाके सृष्टिका परिमाण कई हजार बावड़ियोंकी संख्याके समान है ।।

Transliteration

kitanē hi jīvāḥ krōḍōn kalpōn-tak sthāvara-rūpēṇa ēka sthānē sthitāḥ tiṣṭhanti, ca kitanē hi tat-samayaṁ iha-paraṁ vicaranti tiṣṭhanti. daitya-pravara! prajā-sṛṣṭēḥ parimāṇaṁ kai sahasra-vāpyāḥ-saṅkhyā-samam. vāpyāḥ punar yōjana-vistṛtāstāḥ krōśaṁ ca gambhīratayā avagāḍhāḥ | āyāmataḥ pañcaśatāś ca sarvāḥ pratyēkaśō yōjanataḥ pravṛddhāḥ ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—କେତେକ ଜୀବ କୋଟି କଳ୍ପ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ସ୍ଥାବରରୂପେ ଏକ ସ୍ଥାନରେ ନିଶ୍ଚଳ ରହନ୍ତି, ଆଉ କେତେକ ସେଇ ସମୟ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଏଠି-ସେଠି ଘୁରିବାକୁ ଲାଗନ୍ତି। ହେ ଦୈତ୍ୟପ୍ରବର! ପ୍ରଜାସୃଷ୍ଟିର ପରିମାଣ ହଜାର ହଜାର ବାଉଡ଼ିର ସଂଖ୍ୟା ସମାନ। ସେ ବାଉଡ଼ିଗୁଡ଼ିକ ପ୍ରତ୍ୟେକ ଏକ ଯୋଜନ ବିସ୍ତୃତ, ଏକ କ୍ରୋଶ ଗଭୀରତାରେ ନିମଗ୍ନ, ଏବଂ ସମସ୍ତଙ୍କ ଲମ୍ବ ପାଞ୍ଚଶତ ପ୍ରମାଣର—ପ୍ରତ୍ୟେକ ଯୋଜନ-ଯୋଜନରେ ବୃଦ୍ଧି ପାଇଥିବା—ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଇଛି।

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'jīva', 'definition': 'living being, embodied soul'}, {'term': 'kalpa', 'definition': 'aeon

• a vast cosmic period'}, {'term': 'sthāvara-rūpa', 'definition': 'immobile form (plants/trees, stationary life)'}, {'term': 'vicarati', 'definition': 'to wander, move about'}, {'term': 'daitya-pravara', 'definition': 'best among the Daityas (address to an asura interlocutor)'}, {'term': 'prajā-sṛṣṭi', 'definition': 'creation/production of creatures (progeny)'}, {'term': 'parimāṇa', 'definition': 'measure, extent, magnitude'}, {'term': 'vāpī', 'definition': 'step-well, large well/reservoir'}, {'term': 'yojana', 'definition': 'a long-distance measure (traditional unit)'}, {'term': 'krośa', 'definition': 'a measure of distance

• here used for depth'}, {'term': 'gambhīratā', 'definition': 'depth, profundity'}, {'term': 'āyāma', 'definition': 'length, extension'}, {'term': 'pratyekaśaḥ', 'definition': 'each individually, one by one'}, {'term': 'pravṛddha', 'definition': 'grown, increased, expanded'}]

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Daitya-pravara (unnamed Daitya interlocutor)
• jīva (living beings)
• kalpa (aeons)
• sthāvara (immobile beings)
• vāpī (step-wells)
• yojana
• krośa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse stresses the immense scale of cosmic time and the diversity of embodied states: some beings remain immobile for vast aeons while others wander, implying that embodiment and movement are conditioned by karma and the larger order of creation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses a Daitya as part of a broader exposition in Shanti Parva, using a striking quantitative metaphor—countless step-wells with specified measures—to convey the vastness and multiplicity involved in the creation and distribution of living beings.