aṣṭāśīti—eighty-eight; sahasrāṇi—thousand; munayaḥ—great saintly persons; ye—those who; dhṛta-vratāḥ—fixed in vows; anvaśikṣan—took instructions; vratam—vows; tasya—from him (Vibhu); kaumāra—who was unmarried; brahmacāriṇaḥ—and fixed in the brahmacārī stage of life.