Shloka 15

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

Arjuna–Vāsudeva framed dialogue

Devanagari script

गुरुर्वाच ब्रह्मणोक्तमिदं सर्वमृषिप्रवरसेवितम्‌ । वेदविद्यां समाश्रित्य तत्त्वभूतार्थभावनम्‌

Transliteration

vāyudeva uvāca | gurur uvāca brahmaṇoktam idaṁ sarvam ṛṣipravarasevitam | vedavidyāṁ samāśritya tattvabhūtārthabhāvanam |

Translation

Vị thầy nói: “Này con, Brahmā đã nêu bày tất cả điều này từ trước—chính là lời đáp cho những câu hỏi con đã hỏi—dựa trên tri thức Veda. Các bậc ṛṣi tối thượng đã luôn nương tựa và thực hành giáo huấn ấy. Trong việc trả lời những câu hỏi đó, sự quán chiếu hướng về chân lý tối thượng và ý nghĩa rốt ráo của thực tại.”

Word by Word

• गुरुः: the teacher
• गुरुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• उक्तम्: said/declared
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Kta (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ऋषिप्रवरसेवितम्: practised/used by the foremost sages
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋषिप्रवर-सेवित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वेदविद्याम्: Vedic knowledge/learning
• वेदविद्याम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदविद्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• समाश्रित्य: having resorted to
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि
• Form: Ktva (absolutive/gerund), Active (parasmai sense)

• तत्त्वभूतार्थभावनम्: reflection on the true/real meaning of things
• तत्त्वभूतार्थभावनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व-भूत-अर्थ-भावन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva
• Guru (teacher)
• Brahmā
• Ṛṣis (foremost sages)
• Veda (Vedic knowledge)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That the answers to profound spiritual questions are already articulated within the Vedic tradition as taught by Brahmā and continuously cultivated by eminent sages; one should rely on Vedic knowledge to contemplate tattva (ultimate reality) and its highest meaning.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva reports a teacher’s response to a student: the teacher reassures the student that the questions raised have authoritative answers in Brahmā’s Vedic instruction, long practiced by leading ṛṣis, and that the discussion aims at understanding ultimate truth.