Shloka 36
एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
ततः प्रवर्तिता सम्यक् तपोविद्धिर्द्धिजातिभि: । शब्दे चार्थ च हेती च एषा प्रथमसर्गजा,तब उन तपस्वी ब्राह्मणोंने शब्द, अर्थ और हेतुसे युक्त वाणीका प्रयोग किया। यह उनकी प्रथम रचना थी
tataḥ pravartitā samyak tapoviddhir dvijātibhiḥ | śabde cārthe ca hetau ca eṣā prathamasargajā ||
Bhishma said: Thereafter, the twice-born sages, grounded in ascetic discipline, properly set in motion the true method of spiritual practice. They then employed speech that was well-formed—endowed with sound, meaning, and reasoning. This was the first creation (or formulation) born at the beginning of the cosmic order: a disciplined, intelligible use of language aligned with truth and purpose.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Right practice and right speech must be disciplined and complete: speech should unite śabda (well-formed expression), artha (clear meaning), and hetu (sound reasoning). Such speech supports dharma because it is truthful, purposeful, and intelligible rather than impulsive or deceptive.
Bhishma describes an early, foundational development: ascetic, learned twice-born sages establish proper tapas-based discipline and then articulate a model of ideal speech—language that is structured by sound, conveys meaning, and is supported by reason—presented as a primordial or first formulation in the order of creation.