Shloka 105
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
शक्रेण तु पुरा देवो वाराणस्यां जनार्दन । आराधितो<भूद् भक्तेन दिग्वासा भस्मगुण्ठित:
śakreṇa tu purā devo vārāṇasyāṃ janārdana | ārādhito 'bhūd bhaktena digvāsā bhasmaguṇṭhitaḥ ||
قال فاسوديفا: في سالف الزمان، في فاراناسي، عُبِد الإله جناردانا على يد شَكرا (إندرا) بعبادةٍ مخلصة—وقد تجلّى في هيئة ناسكٍ «مُتَّشِحٍ بالسماء» (ديغفاسا)، وجسده مطليٌّ ومغطّى بالرماد المقدّس.
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
True worship is grounded in bhakti and humility; the Divine may appear in austere or unexpected forms, and reverence should not depend on external appearance or rank.
Vāsudeva recounts an earlier episode: in Vārāṇasī, Śakra (Indra) worshipped Janārdana, who is described as appearing like a sky-clad ascetic covered in sacred ash.