Shloka 139

Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ

Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony

Devanagari script

अनुग्रहर्थ विप्राणां शूणु वत्स समासत: । तानि ते कीर्तयिष्यामि यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि

Transliteration

anugrahārthaṃ viprāṇāṃ śṛṇu vatsa samāsataḥ | tāni te kīrtayiṣyāmi yan māṃ tvaṃ paripṛcchasi ||

Translation

For the sake of showing favor to the brahmins, listen, dear child, in brief. I shall recount to you those forms that were spoken of by the gods—everything that you are asking me about.

Word by Word

• {'anugrahārtham': 'for the purpose of favor, grace, benevolence', 'viprāṇām': 'of the vipras

• brahmins', 'śṛṇu': 'listen (imperative)', 'vatsa': 'dear child

• a term of affectionate address', 'samāsataḥ': 'briefly

• in summary', 'tāni': 'those (things/forms)', 'te': 'to you', 'kīrtayiṣyāmi': 'I will recount, proclaim, describe', 'yat': 'which/what', 'mām': 'me', 'tvam': 'you', 'paripṛcchasi': 'you ask, inquire about'}

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (speaker)
• viprāḥ (brahmins)
• devāḥ (gods, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames instruction as an act of anugraha (benevolent grace) toward brahmins and emphasizes concise, faithful transmission of what is asked—teaching aligned with dharma and reverence for sacred recipients.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva addresses the listener affectionately as 'vatsa' and promises to summarize and recount the specific forms or accounts connected with divine statements, responding directly to the listener’s inquiry.