Shloka 8
Brahma-vidyā: Satya–Tapas and the Enumeration of Tattvas
Arjuna–Vāsudeva framed dialogue
केन जीवन्ति भूतानि तेषामायुश्च कि परम् । शरज कि सत्यं कि तपो विप्र के गुणा: सद्धिरीरिता:,विप्रवर! सम्पूर्ण जीव किससे जीवन धारण करते हैं? उनकी अधिक-से-अधिक आयु कितनी है? सत्य और तप क्या है? सत्पुरुषोंने किन गुणोंकी प्रशंसा की है?
śiṣya uvāca | kena jīvanti bhūtāni teṣām āyuś ca ki param | śaraḥ ki satyaṃ ki tapo vipra ke guṇāḥ sādubhir īritāḥ || vipravara |
The disciple said: “O brāhmaṇa, by what do living beings sustain their life? What is the utmost span of their life? What is truth, and what is austerity? And which qualities have the virtuous praised? O best of brāhmaṇas, please tell me.”
शिष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-inquiry: the disciple seeks foundational principles—what supports life, the limits of lifespan, the meanings of satya (truthfulness) and tapas (austerity), and the virtues endorsed by the righteous—so that ethical living can be grounded in clear definitions.
In a teacher–disciple setting within the Ashvamedhika Parva, the student respectfully questions a learned brāhmaṇa, requesting instruction on life’s sustaining factors and the moral-spiritual standards upheld by good people.