अध्यात्मविद्या तेनेयं पूर्वं राजसु वर्णिता । तदनु प्रसृता लोके राजविद्येत्युदाहृता ॥ १७ ॥
adhyātmavidyā tēnēyaṁ pūrvaṁ rājasu varṇitā | tadanu prasṛtā lōkē rājavidyētyudāhṛtā || 17 ||
Translation
So this knowledge of the Self was first set out among kings, and spread in the world afterwards, and it was called the royal knowledge.
Word by word
- adhyātma
- of the Self
- vidyā
- knowledge
- tēna
- so
- iyaṁ
- this
- pūrvaṁ
- first
- rājasu
- among kings
- varṇitā
- was set out
- tadanu
- afterwards
- prasṛtā
- spread
- lōkē
- in the world
- rājavidyā
- the royal knowledge
- iti
- thus
- udāhṛtā
- it was called
Meaning
The history of a phrase. Rājavidyā, royal knowledge, is here said to be so named because it was first taught among kings; the commentary names Vyāsa and others as those who called it so. Note how this undoes an expected order. The highest teaching does not arise in a retreat for the unworldly. It is first needed by those with the heaviest worldly burdens, who are afraid.