Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda
Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity
ततो देवगणा: सर्वे ऋषयश्न॒ तपोधना:
tato devagaṇāḥ sarve ṛṣayaś ca tapodhanāḥ
Entonces se congregaron todas las huestes de los dioses, junto con los rishis ascetas, ricos en el tesoro de la austeridad.
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.