Shloka 22
महाभूत–इन्द्रिय–मनस्–बुद्धि–अन्तरात्मा विवेकः | Discrimination of Elements, Senses, Mind, Intellect, and Inner Self
अनक्षत्रास्त्वनाधृष्या दृश्यन्ते ज्योतिषां गणा: । ये सब ब्राह्मण प्रायः उपवास आदि क्लेशदायक कर्म करनेके कारण लौकिक सुखसे रहित थे। सदा धर्ममें तत्पर रहते और इन्द्रियोंको वशमें रखते थे। उन्हें धर्मके फलका प्रत्यक्ष अनुभव था। वे सब-के-सब वानप्रस्थी थे। इस लोकसे जानेपर आकाशकमें वे नक्षत्र भिन्न
anakṣatrās tv anādhṛṣyā dṛśyante jyotiṣāṁ gaṇāḥ | jarayā ca parithyūno vyādhinā ca prapīḍitaḥ ||
毗耶娑说道：“天穹之上亦可见一群群光明之众，不列于寻常星宿之数——不可侵犯，辉耀成列。其多为婆罗门，因持斋断食等艰苦行法而离世间乐，恒常专注于法（dharma），制伏诸根。既已亲证义行之果，他们以林居者之身而住；及其离此世间，便在天界显现为别于星宿的、威严而灿然的光星。（亦有一些为老迈所耗、为疾病所逼。）”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Steadfastness in dharma, austerity (such as fasting), and restraint of the senses are portrayed as transformative: those who renounce worldly pleasure and directly realize dharma’s fruits attain an exalted posthumous state, symbolized by becoming radiant, unassailable lights in the heavens.
Vyāsa explains a cosmological-ethical vision: certain extraordinary star-like lights seen in the sky correspond to former forest-dwelling ascetics (mostly Brahmins) who practiced severe disciplines and lived by dharma; after death they appear as distinct luminous stars, even if in life they were weakened by old age and disease.