Shloka 34
Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda
Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity
रहस्यमद्भुतं चापि पृष्टा: सम गगनेचर । एतदेव प्रशंसन्ति देवाश्न मुन॒यस्तथा
rahasyam adbhutaṃ cāpi pṛṣṭāḥ sma gagane-cara | etad eva praśaṃsanti devāś ca munayas tathā ||
The celestial messenger said: “O sky-roaming one, we have indeed been asked a wondrous and secret matter. This very teaching is praised by the gods and by the sages as well.” In context, the verse frames the inquiry as a profound dharmic secret—endorsed by higher authorities—thereby urging reverence for the prescribed ancestral rites and the ethical duty of honoring one’s forebears.
देवदूत उवाच
Educational Q&A
That the matter being discussed is a profound dharmic ‘secret’ (rahasya) and is validated by the highest authorities—gods and sages—thereby reinforcing the importance of the prescribed duties, especially those connected with honoring ancestors (pitṛ-karman) in the surrounding context.
A celestial messenger responds to a question posed to them, emphasizing that the inquiry concerns an extraordinary, esoteric point of dharma. The speaker strengthens the answer’s credibility by stating that gods and sages praise this very teaching.