Shloka 1543
रुद्र-स्तवराजः (Rudra-Stavarāja) — Exempla of Śiva’s Boons and the Hymn’s Phalaśruti
स्तोतव्यमर्च्य वन्द्यं च कः स्तोष्यति जगत्पतिम् । श्रीकृष्ण! इस प्रकार बहुत-से नामोंमेंसे प्रधान-प्रधान नाम चुनकर मैंने उनके द्वारा भक्तिपूर्वक भगवान् शंकरका सावन किया। जिन्हें ब्रह्मा आदि देवता तथा ऋषि भी तत्त्वसे नहीं जानते। उन्हीं स्तवनके योग्य, अर्चनीय और वन्दनीय जगत्पति शिवकी कौन स्तुति करेगा?
stotavyam arcya vandyaṁ ca kaḥ stoṣyati jagatpatim | śrīkṛṣṇa! iti prakāraṁ bahu-śe nāmebhyaḥ pradhāna-pradhāna-nāmāni cayan kṛtvā taiḥ bhakti-pūrvakaṁ bhagavantaṁ śaṅkaraṁ stāvanaṁ mayā kṛtam | yaṁ brahmādayo devā ṛṣayaś ca tattvato na jānanti | tasya stavanārhasya arcanīyasya vandanīyasya jagatpateḥ śivasya kā stuṭiḥ kartum śakyā ||
Worthy of praise, worthy of worship, and worthy of reverence—who, indeed, can adequately extol the Lord of the universe? O Śrī Kṛṣṇa, selecting the foremost among many of His names, I have offered a devotional hymn to Bhagavān Śaṅkara. Even Brahmā and the other gods, and the seers as well, do not truly know Him in His essence. How can anyone compose a fitting praise of that Śiva—the Lord of the world—who alone is truly deserving of hymn, worship, and salutation?
वायुदेव उवाच