Shloka 100
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
शाकल्य: संशितात्मा वै नववर्षशतान्यपि । आराधयामास भवं मनोयज्ञेन केशव,केशव! शाकल्य ऋषिके मनमें सदा संशय बना रहता था। उन्होंने मनोमय यज्ञ (ध्यान)-के द्वारा भगवान् शिवकी नौ सौ वर्षोतक आराधना की
Śākalyaḥ saṁśitātmā vai navavarṣaśatāny api | ārādhayāmāsa bhavaṁ manoyajñena Keśava ||
Vāsudeva said: “O Keśava, the sage Śākalya—steadfast and self-controlled—worshipped Bhava (Śiva) through an inward sacrifice of the mind, and he sustained that devotion for as long as nine hundred years. The passage proclaims the ethical power of enduring inner discipline: true worship is not merely outward rite, but concentrated intention, restraint, and unwavering perseverance.”
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that sustained inner discipline and mental worship (manoyajña) can be a profound form of devotion. Ethical strength is shown through perseverance, self-control, and concentrated intention rather than reliance only on outward ritual.
Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa), addressing Keśava, recounts how the sage Śākalya devotedly propitiated Bhava (Śiva) for nine hundred years through an inward, meditative ‘sacrifice of the mind,’ emphasizing the power of long-term tapas and devotion.