Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda
Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity
ततो देवगणा: सर्वे ऋषयश्न॒ तपोधना:
tato devagaṇāḥ sarve ṛṣayaś ca tapodhanāḥ
Da versammelten sich alle Scharen der Götter, zusammen mit den Rishis, den Asketen, reich am Schatz der Askese.
देवदूत उवाच
Dharma is not merely personal opinion; it is affirmed by higher witnesses—divine beings and sages grounded in tapas—suggesting that ethical order is upheld by spiritual authority and disciplined insight.
The speaker (a divine messenger) describes a scene where the gods and austerity-rich sages appear/assemble, indicating a significant turning point where the matter at hand is being witnessed and sanctioned by celestial and rishi communities.