इति श्रुत्वा मुनिवरो मुनिश्रेष्ठमुपेत्य तम् । प्रणम्य शिरसा भूमौ पप्रच्छेदं हृदि स्थितम्
iti śrutvā munivaro muniśreṣṭhamupetya tam | praṇamya śirasā bhūmau papracchedaṃ hṛdi sthitam
Mendengar demikian, sang resi utama mendekati resi terbaik itu. Ia bersujud dengan kepala menyentuh bumi, lalu menanyakan pertanyaan yang lama bersemayam di hatinya.
Suśravā (narrating)
Tirtha: Sarasvatī-tīra (contextual)
Type: ghat
Scene: Kātyāyana arrives at the riverbank hermitage, bows fully with head to the earth before Sārasvata, hands folded; the sage sits composed, ready to answer.
Right inquiry is inseparable from humility—approach the wise with reverence and ask from the heart.
Implicitly the Sarasvatī-tīra context continues, as the inquiry occurs after reaching the instructed sacred riverbank.
The conduct is prescribed by example: approach the guru, bow (praṇāma), and then ask the dharmic question.