Shloka 26
Brahma-vidyā: Satya–Tapas and the Enumeration of Tattvas
Arjuna–Vāsudeva framed dialogue
वसिष्ठ: कश्यपश्चैव विश्वामित्रो<त्रिरेव च | मार्गान् सर्वान् परिक्रम्य परिश्रान्ता: स्वकर्मभि:
vasiṣṭhaḥ kaśyapaś caiva viśvāmitro ’trir eva ca | mārgān sarvān parikramya pariśrāntāḥ svakarmabhiḥ ||
Vasiṣṭha, Kaśyapa, Viśvāmitra y Atri también—tras recorrer todos los senderos y fatigarse por las obras que les correspondían—quedaron exhaustos. El verso presenta el cansancio de los sabios no como fracaso, sino como el límite natural del afán exterior, que prepara el terreno para buscar una guía más alta y claridad acerca del bien supremo.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the greatest sages, after exhausting the range of outward paths and duties, recognize the need for higher discernment. The verse highlights the ethical-spiritual pivot from mere activity (karma) to inquiry and guidance about the highest good.
A group of eminent sages—Vasiṣṭha, Kaśyapa, Viśvāmitra, and Atri—have tried many approaches and become weary through their respective works. Their exhaustion signals a transition toward collective consultation and seeking a superior source of instruction (developed in the surrounding verses).