Shanti Parva Adhyaya 311 Shloka 1 - Mahabharata | Sanskrit | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 1

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

Devanagari script

ऑपन- मा छा अप ऋाल एकादशाधिकत्रिशततमो< ध्याय: अव्यक्त

Transliteration

Yājñavalkya uvāca: Avyaktasya naraśreṣṭha kālasaṅkhyāṃ nibodha me | pañca-kalpa-sahasrāṇi dviguṇāny ahar ucyate ||

Translation

याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच । अव्यक्तस्य नरश्रेष्ठ कालसंख्यां निबोध मे । पञ्चकल्पसहस्राणि द्विगुणान्यहरुच्यते ॥

Word by Word

याज्ञवल्क्यःYājñavalkya

उवाचsaid

अव्यक्तस्यof the unmanifest (principle)

नरश्रेष्ठO best of men

कालसंख्याम्the time-count (measure of time)

निबोधunderstand; learn

मेof me; from me

पञ्चfive

कल्पसहस्राणिthousands of kalpas

द्विगुणानिtwofold; doubled

अहःa day (daytime)

उच्यतेis said; is called

Speaker

याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yājñavalkya

Avyakta (the Unmanifest)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse introduces a cosmological reckoning of time connected with the Avyakta (Unmanifest), presenting vast measures (kalpas) to frame creation and dissolution within an ordered, intelligible temporal scale.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s philosophical discourse, the sage Yājñavalkya begins instructing his listener by defining the ‘count of time’ for the Unmanifest, setting up a broader explanation of cosmic principles and the process of creation.