Shloka 6

Śuka’s Manifestation from the Araṇi (Āraṇeya-janma) — शुकजन्म (आरणेय-सम्भव)

Devanagari script

एतस्यापि च संख्यानं वेदवेदाड्भगपारगै: | दशकल्पसहस्राणि पादोनान्यहरुच्यते

Transliteration

yājñavalkya uvāca | etasyāpi ca saṅkhyānaṃ vedavedāṅgaparagaiḥ | daśa-kalpa-sahasrāṇi pādonāny ahar ucyate ||

Translation

ଯାଜ୍ଞବଲ୍କ୍ୟ କହିଲେ—ଏହାର ସଂଖ୍ୟାମାନ ମଧ୍ୟ ବେଦ ଓ ବେଦାଙ୍ଗରେ ପାରଙ୍ଗତ ପଣ୍ଡିତମାନେ କହନ୍ତି। ଦଶହଜାର କଳ୍ପରୁ ଏକ ଚତୁର୍ଥାଂଶ କମାଇଲେ ଯେତେ ଅବଶିଷ୍ଟ ରହେ, ସେତେଇ ବ୍ରହ୍ମାଙ୍କ ଏକ ଦିନର ପରିମାଣ—ଅର୍ଥାତ୍ ସାତହଜାର ପାଞ୍ଚଶେ କଳ୍ପ।

Word by Word

• एतस्य: of this
• एतस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• संख्यानम्: count/number (enumeration)
• संख्यानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्यान
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• वेद-वेदाङ्ग-पारगैः: by those who have mastered the Vedas and Vedangas
• वेद-वेदाङ्ग-पारगैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: पारग (वेद + वेदाङ्ग)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• दश: ten
• Type: Numeral
• Root: दशन्

• कल्प-सहस्राणि: thousands of kalpas
• कल्प-सहस्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (कल्प)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• पाद-ऊनानि: lacking a quarter (by one-fourth less)
• पाद-ऊनानि: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊन (पाद)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• अहः: a day
• अहः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• उच्यते: is said/is stated
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Singular

Speaker

याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• याज्ञवल्क्य (Yājñavalkya)
• ब्रह्मा (Brahmā)
• वेद (Veda)
• वेदाङ्ग (Vedāṅga)
• कल्प (Kalpa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches a cosmological perspective on time: Brahmā’s ‘day’ is an immense span (ten thousand kalpas minus one quarter). By placing human life against such vast measures, it encourages humility, detachment from short-term anxieties, and steadiness in dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yājñavalkya is explaining a traditional computation of cosmic time as transmitted by Vedic experts. He reports how learned authorities define the length of Brahmā’s day using kalpas as units.