Brahma-vidyā: Satya–Tapas and the Enumeration of Tattvas
Arjuna–Vāsudeva framed dialogue
चातुर्विद्यं तथा वर्णाश्चातुराश्रमिकान् पृथक् । धर्ममेकं चतुष्पादं नित्यमाहुर्मनीषिण:
cāturvidyaṃ tathā varṇāś cāturāśramikān pṛthak | dharmam ekaṃ catuṣpādaṃ nityam āhur manīṣiṇaḥ ||
ដូច្នេះផងដែរ ខ្ញុំនឹងពណ៌នាដោយឡែកៗ អំពីវិជ្ជាទាំងបួន ដែលបានកំណត់សម្រាប់វណ្ណៈនីមួយៗ និងសម្រាប់អាស្រមទាំងបួន។ ពួកបណ្ឌិតប្រាជ្ញានិយាយជានិច្ចថា មានធម៌តែមួយ ដែលឈរលើគ្រឹះបួន។
वायुदेव उवाच
Dharma is fundamentally one, yet it is understood and practiced through four supports; accordingly, instruction (cāturvidya) and duties are to be explained distinctly for each varṇa and each āśrama so that conduct aligns with one overarching moral order.
Vāyudeva continues a didactic discourse, announcing that he will set out the fourfold learning and the differentiated norms for the social orders and life-stages, while grounding these distinctions in the unity of Dharma described by sages as ‘four-footed’.