Brahma-vidyā: Satya–Tapas and the Enumeration of Tattvas
Arjuna–Vāsudeva framed dialogue
वक्तुमर्हसि विप्रर्षे यथावदिह तत्त्वत: । त्वदन्य: कश्नन प्रश्नानेतान् वक्तुमिहाहति
śiṣya uvāca | vaktum arhasi viprarṣe yathāvad iha tattvataḥ | tvad anyaḥ kaścan praśnān etān vaktum iha arhati |
Wahai resi brāhmaṇa terbaik, engkaulah yang patut menjelaskan di sini dengan tepat dan menurut hakikat. Selain engkau, tak seorang pun di dunia ini layak menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaan ini.
शिष्य उवाच
The verse establishes the disciple’s ethical and spiritual inquiry as legitimate and urgent, and it grounds authority in a qualified teacher: questions about welfare-bringing paths, highest happiness, and the nature of sin should be answered “yathāvat” (properly) and “tattvataḥ” (in accordance with truth), especially within the framework of mokṣa-dharma.
In a guru–śiṣya setting, the disciple respectfully addresses a Brahmin-sage, declaring that no one else is competent to answer these inquiries, and requests a truthful, precise exposition—signaling the start (or continuation) of a didactic discourse on liberation-oriented dharma.