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 ||
Wika ni Arjuna: “O Bhārata, dito ay ipinaliwanag ko ang aking mga lihim na pangalan at ang kanilang pinagmulan (etimolohiya). Isinalaysay ko rin sa iyo ang mga pangalang ipinahayag at itinakda ng mga rishi.”
अर्जुन उवाच
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’.