Shloka 56
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
वाय्वाहारैरम्बुपैर्जप्यनित्यै: सम्प्रक्षालैयोंगिभिर्ध्याननित्यै: । धूमप्राशैरूष्मपै: क्षीरपैश्न संजुष्टं च ब्राह्मणेन्द्रै: समन्तात्
vāyvāhārair ambupair japyānityaiḥ samprakṣālair yogibhir dhyānanityaiḥ | dhūmaprāśair ūṣmapaiḥ kṣīrapaiś ca saṃjuṣṭaṃ ca brāhmaṇendraiḥ samantāt ||
It was surrounded on every side by eminent Brahmins. Some sustained themselves only on air, some lived by drinking water; some were constantly engaged in the repetition of sacred formulas. Certain ascetics purified their minds through disciplines of inner cleansing, while yogins remained ever absorbed in meditation. Others lived on the smoke of sacrificial fires, on the heat of austerity, or on milk—each practicing restraint and self-control as a visible expression of dharma.
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma expressed through disciplined living: restraint in food and comfort, steady japa and meditation, and inner purification. It presents multiple legitimate ascetic modes, emphasizing sincerity and self-control rather than a single uniform practice.
Vāsudeva describes a place (or setting) densely inhabited by eminent Brahmins and yogins. He lists the varied austerities they practice—living on air, water, milk, sacrificial smoke, or heat—along with constant japa, meditation, and mental purification.