Shloka 64
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
तेजसा तपसा चैव दीप्यमानं यथानलम् । शिष्यैरनुगतं शान्तं युवान ब्राह्मणर्षभम्
tejasā tapasā caiva dīpyamānaṃ yathānalam | śiṣyair anugataṃ śāntaṃ yuvānaṃ brāhmaṇarṣabham |
Vāsudeva said: “Radiant with spiritual power and austerity, blazing like fire, calm in disposition, and in the vigor of youth—the foremost of Brahmins—Upamanyu sat surrounded by his disciples. As soon as I entered that excellent hermitage, delightful to all beings, I beheld him: matted-haired and clad in bark-garments, illustrious, and made resplendent by his tapas, while great sages renowned for many observances enhanced the glory of that āśrama and honored that learned Brahmin, accomplished in the Vedas and their auxiliaries.”
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates the ethical ideal of a Brahmin-sage: inner radiance (tejas) grounded in disciplined austerity (tapas), calm self-mastery (śānti), and learning (Veda–Vedāṅga). It implies that true authority and honor arise from character and practice, not from display—disciples gather naturally around such steadiness.
Vāsudeva describes entering a renowned hermitage and seeing the youthful sage Upamanyu seated among his disciples. Upamanyu is portrayed as matted-haired, wearing bark garments, and shining like fire through austerity—an image that sets the scene for instruction or a significant encounter with a revered teacher.