Shloka 192

Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ

Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony

Devanagari script

शक्र उवाच कः पुनर्भवने हेतुरीशे कारणकारणे । येन शरवददृतेडन्यस्मात्‌ प्रसादं नाभिकाड्क्षसि

Transliteration

śakra uvāca: kaḥ punar bhavane hetur īśe kāraṇa-kāraṇe | yena śaravad adṛṣṭe ’nyasmāt prasādaṁ nābhikāṅkṣasi ||

Translation

Śakra said: “O Lord, O Cause of all causes—what is the reason and proof for your conviction about the existence and supremacy of Śiva, the Lord of the universe, such that, apart from Śiva, you do not seek to accept grace or favor from any other deity?”

Word by Word

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular

• कः: who/what (which)
• कः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुनः: again; further
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• भवने: in (your) existence/being; in becoming
• भवने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• हेतुः: cause; reason
• हेतुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ईशे: O Lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कारण-कारणे: in the cause of causes
• कारण-कारणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारणकारण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• येन: by which; whereby
• येन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• शरवत्: from (one) like a reed-bed/arrowy (uncertain reading)
• शरवत्: Apadana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरवत्
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अन्यस्मात्: from another
• अन्यस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• प्रसादम्: favor; grace
• प्रसादम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अभिकाङ्क्षसि: you desire; you long for
• Type: Verb
• Root: काङ्क्ष्
• Form: Present, 2, Singular

• इन्द्रेण: by Indra
• इन्द्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पृष्टः: asked (having been asked)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पृच्छ्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (sage); O Brahmā (uncertain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Śiva
• Brahmā (implied by the address in the provided Hindi gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a theological-ethical inquiry: true devotion is grounded in a reasoned conviction about the highest principle (‘cause of causes’). Indra asks what warrants exclusive reliance on Śiva’s grace rather than seeking favors from multiple deities.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra (Śakra) questions the interlocutor (contextually Brahmā) about the basis for his certainty regarding Śiva’s supreme status, asking why he does not seek or accept grace from any other divine power besides Śiva.