Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अस्मिन्नेव युगे तात विप्रैः सर्वार्थदर्शिभि: । अगस्त्य: सप्त ऋषयो मधुच्छन्दो5घमर्षण:,तात! इस युगमें भी सर्वार्थदर्शी ब्राह्मणोंने इस वानप्रस्थ-धर्मका पालन एवं प्रसार किया। अगस्त्य, सप्तर्षिगण, मधुच्छन्द, अघमर्षण, सांकृति, सुदिवा, तण्डि, यथावास, अकृतश्रम, अहोवीर्य, काव्य (शुक्राचार्य), ताण्ड्य, मेधातिथि, बुध, शक्तिशाली कर्ण निर्वाक, शून्यपाल और कृतश्रम--इन सबने इस धर्मका पालन किया, जिससे ये सभी स्वर्गलोकको प्राप्त हुए

Transliteration

asminneva yuge tāta vipraiḥ sarvārthadarśibhiḥ | agastyaḥ sapta ṛṣayo madhucchandāghamarṣaṇaḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa said: “Even in this very age, dear one, far-seeing brāhmaṇas—those who discern the true purport of all aims—have upheld and propagated the dharma of the forest-dweller (vānaprastha). Among them are Agastya, the Seven Ṛṣis, Madhucchandas, and Aghamarṣaṇa.”

Word by Word

अस्मिन्in this

एवindeed/just

युगेin the age/era

तातO dear (son)/O child

विप्रैःby brahmins

सर्वार्थदर्शिभिःby those who see/know all purposes (all things)

अगस्त्यःAgastya

सप्तseven

ऋषयःsages

मधुच्छन्दःMadhucchandas (a rishi)

अघमर्षणःAghamarshana (a rishi)

तातO dear (son)/O child

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Agastya

Saptarṣi (Seven Sages)

Madhucchandas

Aghamarṣaṇa

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That the vānaprastha-dharma is not merely ancient theory but a living discipline upheld by far-seeing brāhmaṇas; ethical authority comes from practiced renunciation, restraint, and teaching by example.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is citing revered sages as precedents to validate and encourage the practice and propagation of the forest-dweller stage of life, grounding the instruction in recognized exemplars.