<![CDATA[This article examines the construction of knowledge in the education of state guardians in the Sanghyang Siksakandang Karesian manuscript, focusing on the role of narrative and authority in shaping leadership ethics within the local governance education. Unlike doctrinal normative texts, the manuscript refers to epic and didactic narrative traditions without presenting them explicitly, assigning their interpretation to the dalang as an interpretive authority in Sundanese oral tradition. This study aims to explain how these narrative references, mediated through the dalang, construct a value-based, contextual, and participatory model of state guardian education. The research employs a normative-reflective approach combined with historical hermeneutic analysis to examine the relationship between text, tradition, and epistemic authority. The findings reveal that knowledge is not transmitted through rigid prescriptive rules but through the interpretation of narratives embedded in living tradition. The dalang acts as an intermediary between the text and understanding, enabling ethical values to be interpreted contextually and applied in social life. This model is placed in dialogue with Plato’s conception of narrative as an instrument for educating state guardians. While Plato emphasizes narrative, regulation, and control, the manuscript demonstrates an alternative model grounded in interpretive mediation, highlighting indigenous epistemic traditions as a resource for developing ethical, socially responsible public officials.]]>
