Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऑपन--माजल छा जज पज्चाशत्तमो<्ध्याय: आदित्यतीर्थकी महिमाके प्रसंगमें असित देवल तथा जैगीषव्य मुनिका चरित्र वैशम्पायन उवाच तस्मिन्नेव तु धर्मात्मा वसति सम तपोधन: । गार्हस्थ्यं धर्ममास्थाय हासितो देवल: पुरा,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! प्राचीन कालकी बात है, उसी तीर्थमें तपस्याके धनी धर्मात्मा असित देवल मुनि गृहस्थधर्मका आश्रय लेकर निवास करते थे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | tasminn eva tu dharmātmā vasati sma tapodhanaḥ | gārhasthyaṁ dharmam āsthāya hāsito devalaḥ purā ||

Translation

وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا: اے جنمیجَے! قدیم زمانے میں اسی تیرتھ میں تپسیہ کے دھن سے بھرپور دھرماتما اسِت دیول مُنی، گِرہستھ دھرم کا سہارا لے کر رہا کرتا تھا۔

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaishampayana

उवाचsaid

तस्मिन्in that (place)

एवindeed/just

तुbut/and

धर्मात्माrighteous-souled

वसतिdwells

समःeven-minded/equable

तपोधनःone whose wealth is austerity (ascetic)

गार्हस्थ्यम्the householder state

धर्मम्duty/law

आस्थायhaving adopted/undertaken

आसितःAsita (name)

देवलःDevala (name)

पुराformerly/once

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Asita Devala

the tīrtha (sacred ford/place) referenced as 'tasmin' (that very place)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that dharma is not confined to renunciation: a sage may adopt the householder’s path (gārhasthya-dharma) and still remain dharmātmā and tapodhana—ethically grounded and spiritually accomplished.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana begins an ancient episode connected with a sacred tīrtha, introducing the sage Asita Devala, who lived there in earlier times while following the duties of a householder—setting the stage for the tīrtha’s significance and the sages’ exemplifying conduct.