Shloka 22
Brahma-vidyā: Satya–Tapas and the Enumeration of Tattvas
Arjuna–Vāsudeva framed dialogue
अजीव: सर्वभूतानां ब्रह्मबीज: सनातन: । एतजज्ञात्वा च तत्त्वानि ज्ञानेन परमासिना
ajīvaḥ sarvabhūtānāṁ brahmabījaḥ sanātanaḥ | etaj jñātvā ca tattvāni jñānena paramāsinā
Vāyu-deva said: “The imperishable principle is the eternal seed of Brahman within all beings. Knowing this, one should discern the true realities and, with the supreme sword of knowledge, cut through delusion—so that one lives with clarity, restraint, and right understanding.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
That an eternal, imperishable principle underlies all beings and is the ‘seed’ leading to Brahman-realization; by recognizing this and discerning the tattvas, one uses knowledge as a ‘supreme sword’ to cut ignorance and live rightly.
Vāyu-deva is speaking in a didactic passage, delivering a metaphysical instruction: he points to the eternal principle present in all beings and urges the listener to employ discriminative knowledge to penetrate the truth of reality.