The scene is set: an assembly (sabhā) of powerful sages, with Gārgī prostrating daṇḍavat — like a staff, face to the ground — in the traditional gesture of utmost reverence before a teacher. This physical act of humility frames the dialogue that follows as a formal adhyayana — a structured transmission of sacred knowledge. The image of the sabhā situates the teaching within the Vedic tradition of public philosophical discourse.