Shloka 137
Atithi-satkāra and the Consolation of Wise Counsel (अतिथिसत्कारः प्रज्ञानवचनस्य च पराश्वासनम्)
नामानि चैव गुह्मानि निरुक्तानि च भारत । ऋषिभि: कथितानीह यानि संकीर्तितानि ते
nāmāni caiva guhyāni niruktāni ca bhārata | ṛṣibhiḥ kathitānīha yāni saṅkīrtitāni te ||
नामानि चैव गुह्यानि निरुक्तानि च भारत । ऋषिभिः कथितानीह यानि संकीर्तितानि ते ॥
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the authority of received tradition: sacred or ‘secret’ names are not merely labels but carry meaning (nirukta) and are validated by ṛṣis. Knowledge is presented as responsibly transmitted—explained, grounded in etymology, and confirmed by seer-tradition.
Arjuna, as the speaker, concludes or summarizes a prior explanation: he has already disclosed his confidential names and their derivations, and he has also listed the names assigned by sages, addressing his listener as ‘Bhārata’.