Shloka 2

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

Devanagari script

याज्ञवल्क्थजी कहते हैं--नरश्रेष्ठी अब तुम मुझसे अव्यक्तकी काल-संख्या सुनो। दस हजार कल्पोंका (महायुगोंका) इस अव्यक्तका एक दिन बताया जाता है ।।

Transliteration

yājñavalkya uvāca—naraśreṣṭha idānīṁ tvaṁ mayā avyaktasya kāla-saṅkhyāṁ śṛṇu | daśa-sahasra-kalpānāṁ (mahāyugānāṁ) asya avyaktasya ekaṁ dinaṁ procyate || rātrir etāvatī cāsya pratibuddho narādhipa | sṛjaty oṣadhim evāgre jīvanaṁ sarva-dehinām || nareśvara, jñāna-svarūpaḥ parabrahma paramātmā pūrvaṁ sarva-prāṇināṁ jīvana-nirvāhārthaṁ oṣadhīḥ (nānā-vidhāni annāni) sṛjati |

Translation

Яджнявалкья сказал: «О лучший из людей, теперь выслушай от меня исчисление времени, принадлежащее Непроявленному (авьякта). Десять тысяч кальп (великих эпох) объявляются одним “днём” этого Непроявленного. И ночь его столь же велика, о царь. Когда же тот космический круговорот пробуждается, Высшее Я — Брахман, по природе своей чистое знание, — прежде всего творит “травы”, то есть разнообразные пищи, для поддержания жизни всех воплощённых существ».

Word by Word

• रात्रिः: night
• रात्रिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• एतावती: of that measure / equally great
• एतावती: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतावत्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अस्य: of this (one) / of him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• प्रतिबुद्धः: awakened / fully aware
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिबुद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नराधिप: O king (lord of men)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सृजति: creates
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज्
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ओषधिम्: plants / herbs (food-grains)
• ओषधिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओषधि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अग्रे: at first / in the beginning
• अग्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र

• जीवनम्: life / sustenance
• जीवनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सर्वदेहिनाम्: of all embodied beings
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वदेहिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

Speaker

याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya
• Narādhipa/Nareśvara (the king addressed)
• Parabrahman/Paramātmā
• Avyakta (the Unmanifest)
• Oṣadhi (herbs/food; nourishment)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames cosmic time as vast cycles of ‘day’ and ‘night’ of the Unmanifest, and emphasizes that when creation resumes, the Supreme Self first provides nourishment (oṣadhi/food) so embodied beings can live—highlighting an ethical vision of creation oriented toward sustaining life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yajnavalkya is instructing a king, explaining the scale of cosmic time associated with the Unmanifest and describing the initial act of creation upon ‘awakening’: the production of plants/foods to support all living beings.