Shloka 21
Pratyakṣa–Āgama–Ācāra: Doubt, Proof, and the Practice of Dharma (प्रत्यक्ष–आगम–आचारविचारः)
उमादेवी बोलीं--भगवन्! सर्वभूतेश्वर! समस्त प्राणियोंद्वारा वन्दित महेश्वर! ज्ञानगोष्ठियोंमें मुनि-समुदायका जो धर्म निश्चित किया गया है, उसे बताइये ।।
umādevī uvāca—bhagavan sarvabhūteśvara samasta-prāṇibhir vandita maheśvara jñāna-goṣṭhīṣu munisamūhena yo dharmaḥ niścitaḥ sa me brūhi. siddhivādeṣu saṃsiddhās tathā vana-nivāsinaḥ; svairiṇo dāra-saṃyuktās teṣāṃ dharmaḥ kathaṃ smṛtaḥ?
Umā Devī berkata: “Wahai Bhagavan, Penguasa segala makhluk, Maheśvara yang dipuja oleh semua insan—jelaskan kepadaku aturan dharma yang telah ditetapkan oleh perhimpunan para resi dalam musyawarah pengetahuan rohani. Di antara para pertapa penghuni rimba yang dinyatakan sepenuhnya berhasil dalam ajaran-ajaran tentang pencapaian, ada yang mengembara bebas seorang diri, dan ada pula yang hidup bersama istri. Bagaimanakah dharma mereka dipahami?”
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-question about legitimate modes of ascetic life: whether perfected forest-dwellers who roam alone and those who live with a wife can both be considered righteous, and by what standard their conduct is judged in learned tradition.
Umā (Pārvatī) addresses Maheśvara (Śiva) and asks him to explain the dharma established by sages in knowledge-assemblies, specifically concerning accomplished ascetics—some solitary wanderers and some living in the forest with spouses.