Shloka 12
Āśramamaṇḍala-darśana and Ṛṣi-samāgama
Observation of the Hermitage Precinct and the Assembly of Sages
आस्तीक उवाच ऋषिरद्द्धपायनो यत्र पुराणस्तपसो निधि: । यज्ञे कुरुकुलश्रेष्ठ तस्य लोकावुभौ जितौ
Āstīka uvāca: ṛṣir Dvaipāyano yatra purāṇas tapaso nidhiḥ | yajñe Kurukulaśreṣṭha tasya lokāv ubhau jitau ||
Āstīka dit : « Là se trouvait l’antique sage Dvaipāyana, trésor inépuisable d’austérité. Ô meilleur des Kuru, par cet acte sacrificiel il remporta la victoire dans les deux mondes (ici-bas et dans l’au-delà). »
आस्तीक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that disciplined austerity and righteous sacrificial action (yajña grounded in dharma) yield comprehensive merit—benefiting one’s standing in this life and one’s destiny beyond it (“both worlds”).
Āstīka points to the presence of the venerable sage Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa) at a sacrificial context and praises the spiritual efficacy of that rite, addressing a listener as “best of the Kurus,” and stating that the act secured success in both worldly and otherworldly terms.