अथ ह एनम् विदग्धः शाकल्यः पप्रच्छ कति देवाः याज्ञवल्क्य इति सः ह एतया एव निविदा प्रतिपेदे यावन्तः वैश्वदेवस्य निविदि उच्यन्ते त्रयः च त्री च शता त्रयः च त्री च सहस्र इति ओम् इति ह उवाच कति एव देवाः याज्ञवल्क्य इति त्रयस्त्रिंशत् इति ओम् इति ह उवाच कति एव देवाः याज्ञवल्क्य इति षट् इति ओम् इति ह उवाच कति एव देवाः याज्ञवल्क्य इति त्रयः इति ओम् इति ह उवाच कति एव देवाः याज्ञवल्क्य इति द्वौ इति ओम् इति ह उवाच कति एव देवाः याज्ञवल्क्य इति अध्यर्धः इति ओम् इति ह उवाच कति एव देवाः याज्ञवल्क्य इति एकः इति ओम् इति ह उवाच कतमे ते त्रयः च त्री च शता त्रयः च त्री च सहस्र इति
atha ha enam vidagdhaḥ śākalyaḥ papraccha kati devāḥ yājñavalkya iti saḥ ha etayā eva nividā pratipede yāvantaḥ vaiśvadevasya nividi ucyante trayaḥ ca trī ca śatā trayaḥ ca trī ca sahasra iti om iti ha uvāca kati eva devāḥ yājñavalkya iti trayastriṃśat iti om iti ha uvāca kati eva devāḥ yājñavalkya iti ṣaṭ iti om iti ha uvāca kati eva devāḥ yājñavalkya iti trayaḥ iti om iti ha uvāca kati eva devāḥ yājñavalkya iti dvau iti om iti ha uvāca kati eva devāḥ yājñavalkya iti adhyardhaḥ iti om iti ha uvāca kati eva devāḥ yājñavalkya iti ekaḥ iti om iti ha uvāca katame te trayaḥ ca trī ca śatā trayaḥ ca trī ca sahasra iti
Then Vidagdha Śākalya questioned him: "How many gods are there, Yājñavalkya?" He answered by the nivid of the litany of the All-gods: "Three and three hundred, and three and three thousand [3306]." — "Yes (oṁ). And how many gods are there really, Yājñavalkya?" — "Thirty-three." — "Yes. And how many gods are there really, Yājñavalkya?" — "Six." — "Yes. And how many really?" — "Three." — "Yes. And how many really?" — "Two." — "Yes. And how many really?" — "One and a half." — "Yes. And how many gods are there really, Yājñavalkya?" — "One." — "Yes. Which then are those three and three hundred and three and three thousand?"
cf9c90060744 · 发布于 2026年7月27日 01:05:26 UTC
可用语言RUEN用方向键翻颂
The last questioner is Vidagdha Śākalya, "the Wit" by name and by manner: he does not ask, he interrogates, driving the answerer down a narrowing spiral: how many gods? 3306! — and really? 33 — 6 — 3 — 2 — one and a half(!) — one. The most famous descending ladder in all the Veda: the whole pantheon contracts before our eyes into the One.
The first answer is given "by the nivid" — the liturgical litany of the All-gods: 3306 is a figure of the hymn, not a theology. Then every "and really?" (katy eva) strips off a layer: the numbers of gods are the storeys of one building, and Yājñavalkya walks Śākalya down from storey to storey without a stumble — to "one and a half" (which will be explained presently) and to the One. Polytheism and monotheism are reconciled by a ladder: the gods really are 3306 — as glories; and God really is One — as the Owner of the glories. It remains to name each storey by name — and that is just what Śākalya demands.