Shloka 34

Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda

Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity

Devanagari script

रहस्यमद्भुतं चापि पृष्टा: सम गगनेचर । एतदेव प्रशंसन्ति देवाश्न मुन॒यस्तथा

Transliteration

rahasyam adbhutaṃ cāpi pṛṣṭāḥ sma gagane-cara | etad eva praśaṃsanti devāś ca munayas tathā ||

Translation

โอ้ผู้ท่องไปในนภา เราถูกถามถึงเรื่องอันน่าอัศจรรย์และเป็นความลับ; คำสอนนี้เองที่เหล่าเทพและฤๅษีก็สรรเสริญเช่นกัน

Word by Word

• रहस्यम्: secret, mystery
• रहस्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful, marvelous
• अद्भुतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• पृष्टाः: asked (having been asked)
• पृष्टाः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्म: indeed (past-tense particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म

• गगनचर: O sky-goer (one who moves in the sky)
• गगनचर: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गगनचर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• प्रशंसन्ति: they praise
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शंस्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: likewise, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

देवदूत उवाच

Characters & Entities

• देवदूत (celestial messenger)
• गगनेचर (sky-roaming being)
• देवाः (gods)
• मुनयः (sages)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.