Shloka 15
Utkramaṇa-sthāna and Ariṣṭa-lakṣaṇa: Yājñavalkya’s Instruction on Departure Pathways and Mortality Signs
ग्रन्थस्यार्थस्य पृष्ट: संस्तादृशो वक्तुमर्हति । यथा तत्त्वाभिगमनादर्थ तस्य स विन्दति
granthasyārthasya pṛṣṭaḥ saṃstādṛśo vaktum arhati | yathā tattvābhigamanād arthaṃ tasya sa vindati
Vasiṣṭha berkata: “Apabila seseorang ditanya tentang makna sesuatu risalah, seorang guru yang layak hendaklah berbicara menurut kesesuaian pendengar. Kerana dengan membimbing penanya menuju tātva—prinsip yang benar—barulah dia benar-benar memperoleh makna yang dimaksudkan oleh teks itu.”
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
A teacher should explain a text’s meaning in a way appropriate to the questioner, guiding them toward underlying truths (tattva); only by grasping those principles does one truly obtain the text’s intended purport.
Vasiṣṭha is instructing an inquirer on how scriptural or philosophical exposition should be done: not merely repeating words, but tailoring explanation to the listener and leading them to realization of the foundational truth that unlocks the text’s meaning.