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Once the the great rishis assembled around Sri Krishna and Maharshi Narada begins to recall a long discussion on different aspects of dharma that takes place between Shankara  and Uma. Both are living the life of a happy man and wife on the Himalayas, which in the presence of the divine couple joyously blossoms with natural splendour and beauty. Narada recounts this episode,<ref name=":0">Bajaj, Jitendra and Mandayam, Srinivas. (1996) ''Annam Bahu Kurvita.'' Madras: Centre for Policy Studies Madras</ref>  <blockquote>"''Once Uma, standing behind Shankara, playfully covers his eyes with her hands. Instantly the whole world is enveloped in deep darkness. Soon Shankara opens his third-eye that bathes the world in its brilliant gaze. But the Himalayas, unable to bear the sun-like radiance of Shankara's third-eye, catch fire. And Uma, filled with compassion for the Himalayas, appears in front of Shankara with folded hands. Seeing her thus, Shankara recovers his benign tranquility. He looks at the world with a happy gaze. And the world becomes happy too.''"</blockquote>It is then that Uma begins to ask Shankara various questions about the meaning of his forms and that of the various aspects of dharma.  

Once the the great rishis assembled around Sri Krishna and Maharshi Narada begins to recall a long discussion on different aspects of dharma that takes place between Shankara  and Uma. Both are living the life of a happy man and wife on the Himalayas, which in the presence of the divine couple joyously blossoms with natural splendour and beauty. Narada recounts this episode,<ref name=":0">Bajaj, Jitendra and Mandayam, Srinivas. (1996) ''Annam Bahu Kurvita.'' Madras: Centre for Policy Studies Madras</ref>  <blockquote>"''Once Uma, standing behind Shankara, playfully covers his eyes with her hands. Instantly the whole world is enveloped in deep darkness. Soon Shankara opens his third-eye that bathes the world in its brilliant gaze. But the Himalayas, unable to bear the sun-like radiance of Shankara's third-eye, catch fire. And Uma, filled with compassion for the Himalayas, appears in front of Shankara with folded hands. Seeing her thus, Shankara recovers his benign tranquility. He looks at the world with a happy gaze. And the world becomes happy too.''"</blockquote>It is then that Uma begins to ask Shankara various questions about the meaning of his forms and that of the various aspects of dharma.  

=== Grhasthadharmas ===

== Grhasthadharmas ==

In the course of this dialogue between the divine husband and wife, Uma also seeks to know the dharma of ashramas, of the way a man ought to lead his life at different stages during a lifetime. And, Shankara begins his answer to Uma's queries with the unequivocal assertion that of the four asramas the grhastha ashrama is indeed the foremost and rests on the garhastha dharmas:<blockquote>गृहस्थः प्रवरस्तेषां गार्हस्थ्यं धर्ममाश्रितः। पञ्चयज्ञक्रिया शौचं दारतुष्टिरतन्द्रिता॥ (Maha. Anush. 13.141.60)</blockquote><blockquote>ऋतुकालाभिगमनं दानयज्ञतपांसि च। अविप्रवासस्तस्येष्टः स्वाध्यायश्चाग्निपूर्वकम्॥ </blockquote>Conducting Panchamahayajnas, maintaining inner and outer saucha (cleanliness), being faithful to one's wife, devoid of laziness, conducting agnihotra rituals as nityakarma are a few qualities of a grhastha.<ref name=":1">Shastri, Ramnarayanadatta Pandey. ''[https://archive.org/stream/Mahabharata04SanskritHindiPanditRamnarayanGitaPress/Mahabharata06_Sanskrit-hindi_panditRamnarayan_gitaPress#page/n561/mode/2up Mahabharata Volume 6 (With Hindi Translation)]'' Gorakhpur : Gita Press</ref>

In the course of this dialogue between the divine husband and wife, Uma also seeks to know the dharma of ashramas, of the way a man ought to lead his life at different stages during a lifetime. And, Shankara begins his answer to Uma's queries with the unequivocal assertion that of the four asramas the grhastha ashrama is indeed the foremost and rests on the garhastha dharmas:<blockquote>गृहस्थः प्रवरस्तेषां गार्हस्थ्यं धर्ममाश्रितः। पञ्चयज्ञक्रिया शौचं दारतुष्टिरतन्द्रिता॥ (Maha. Anush. 13.141.60)</blockquote><blockquote>ऋतुकालाभिगमनं दानयज्ञतपांसि च। अविप्रवासस्तस्येष्टः स्वाध्यायश्चाग्निपूर्वकम्॥ </blockquote>Conducting Panchamahayajnas, maintaining inner and outer saucha (cleanliness), being faithful to one's wife, devoid of laziness, conducting agnihotra rituals as nityakarma are a few qualities of a grhastha.<ref name=":1">Shastri, Ramnarayanadatta Pandey. ''[https://archive.org/stream/Mahabharata04SanskritHindiPanditRamnarayanGitaPress/Mahabharata06_Sanskrit-hindi_panditRamnarayan_gitaPress#page/n561/mode/2up Mahabharata Volume 6 (With Hindi Translation)]'' Gorakhpur : Gita Press</ref>