Shloka 11

Brahma-vidyā: Satya–Tapas and the Enumeration of Tattvas

Arjuna–Vāsudeva framed dialogue

Devanagari script

ब्रृहि धर्मविदां श्रेष्ठ परं कौतूहलं मम । मोक्षधर्मार्थकुशलो भवॉल्लोकेषु गीयते

Transliteration

śiṣya uvāca | brūhi dharmavidāṃ śreṣṭha paraṃ kautūhalaṃ mama | mokṣadharmārthakuśalo bhavāṃl lokeṣu gīyate | kaunakaunase mārgāḥ kalyāṇakaraṇāḥ? sarvottamaṃ sukhaṃ kim? pāpaṃ ca kiṃ pracakṣate? śreṣṭha vratabrata-ācaraṇakartṛn gurudeva! mamaite praśnāḥ yathārthataḥ samādhātuṃ tvam eva samarthaḥ | dharmajñeṣu śreṣṭha vipra! etad jñātuṃ mama manasi mahān autkaṇṭhyaḥ | asmin viṣaye etān praśnān tattvataḥ yathārthaṃ vaktuṃ tvadṛte nānyaḥ samarthaḥ | ataḥ tvam eva brūhi; yato loke mokṣadharmatatvajñāne tvam kuśala iti gīyase |

Translation

ສິດໄດ້ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ຜູ້ຮູ້ທຳອັນປະເສີດທີ່ສຸດ, ຂໍທ່ານຈົ່ງບອກແກ່ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ—ຄວາມຢາກຮູ້ຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າເລິກຊຶ້ງຫຼາຍ. ທ່ານເປັນທີ່ສັນລະເສີນໃນຫຼາຍໂລກວ່າ ເປັນຜູ້ຊ່ຽວຊານໃນເປົ້າໝາຍ ແລະ ຫຼັກການແຫ່ງມົກສະທຳ. ທາງໃດແດ່ທີ່ນຳມາຊຶ່ງຄວາມກຸສົນແທ້? ຄວາມສຸກສູງສຸດແມ່ນຫຍັງ? ແລະ ສິ່ງໃດຈຶ່ງເອີ້ນວ່າບາບ? ໂອ ຄູອາຈານຜູ້ນ່າເຄົາລົບ, ຜູ້ເປັນແບບຢ່າງໃນວັດຕະ ແລະ ຄວາມປະພຶດ, ມີແຕ່ທ່ານເທົ່ານັ້ນທີ່ສາມາດຕອບໄດ້ຕາມຄວາມເປັນຈິງ. ໂອ ພຣາຫມັນຜູ້ຮູ້ຫຼາຍອັນສູງສຸດ, ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າກະຫາຍຮູ້ຢ່າງຍິ່ງ. ໃນເລື່ອງນີ້, ນອກຈາກທ່ານ ບໍ່ມີໃຜສາມາດກ່າວຄວາມຈິງໃນແກ່ນສານໄດ້. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ຂໍທ່ານຈົ່ງອະທິບາຍເອງ, ເພາະທ່ານເປັນທີ່ຮູ້ຈັກວ່າ ຊ່ຽວຊານໃນຄວາມຮູ້ແທ້ຂອງທຳທີ່ນຳໄປສູ່ການຫຼຸດພົ້ນ»។

Word by Word

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 2, singular, परस्मैपद

• धर्मविदाम्: of the knowers of dharma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मविद्
• Form: masculine, genitive, plural

• श्रेष्ठ: O best
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• परम्: supreme, highest
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity, eagerness
• कौतूहलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• मम: my, of me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: genitive, singular

• मोक्षधर्मार्थकुशलः: skilled in the purport of mokṣa-dharma
• मोक्षधर्मार्थकुशलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्षधर्मार्थकुशल
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: भवत्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• लोकेषु: in the worlds, among people
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: masculine, locative, plural

• गीयते: is sung/praised, is spoken of
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), 3, singular, कर्मणि (passive)

Speaker

शिष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• śiṣya (disciple)
• gurudeva (teacher)
• vipra (brāhmaṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a classical ethical inquiry: the disciple seeks authoritative guidance on (1) welfare-producing paths (kalyāṇa-mārga), (2) the highest form of happiness, and (3) what constitutes sin (pāpa). It establishes mokṣa-dharma as the lens for answering—truthful, essential understanding leading toward liberation.

What is happening in the narrative?

A disciple respectfully addresses a renowned teacher, praising his mastery of mokṣa-dharma and urging him to answer pressing questions. The scene sets up a didactic exchange where the teacher is about to expound on right paths, supreme happiness, and the nature of wrongdoing.