Shloka 476
Mind as Charioteer; Kṣetrajña, Tapas, and Dhyāna-Yoga
Adhyātma-Upadeśa
विज्ञेयं ब्राह्मणैर्वद्धेर्धर्मज्ै: सत्यवादिभि: । शुक्रल
vijñeyaṃ brāhmaṇair vṛddhair dharmajñaiḥ satyavādibhiḥ | śuklaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ raktaḥ nīlaḥ pītaḥ aruṇaḥ kṣudraḥ bṛhat sthūlaḥ kṛśaḥ caturaśraḥ vṛttaḥ—iti prakāreṇa taijasa-rūpasya dvādaśa-vidhaḥ vistāraḥ satyavādibhir dharmajñair vṛddha-brāhmaṇaiḥ jñātavya iti ucyate ||
Vāyu sprach: „Dies soll man von betagten Brahmanen verstehen, die wahrhaftig sind und das Dharma kennen. Die leuchtende (feurige) Gestalt wird als zwölffach entfaltet gelehrt—weiß, schwarz, rot, blau, gelb, fahlbraun; klein, groß; dick, dünn; viereckig und rund. So erklären es die wahrhaftigen Ältesten, im Dharma gegründet, als etwas, das zu wissen ziemt.“
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Knowledge about subtle or luminous reality (taijasa-rūpa) should be learned from reliable authorities—elders who are both truthful (satyavādin) and grounded in dharma (dharmajña). The verse links epistemic trustworthiness with ethical character.
Vāyu is instructing the listener by presenting a doctrinal classification: the ‘luminous/fiery form’ is described as having twelve varieties, distinguished by color and by size/shape. The statement frames this as traditional knowledge transmitted by venerable Brahmins.