Shloka 150

Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ

Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony

Devanagari script

ऋषिगन्धर्वरूपश्व सिद्धचारणरूपधृक्‌ । भस्मपाण्ड्रगात्रश्न चन्द्रार्थकृतभूषण:

Transliteration

ṛṣigandharvarūpaś ca siddhacāraṇarūpadhṛk | bhasmapāṇḍragātraś ca candrārdhakṛtabhūṣaṇaḥ ||

Translation

Vāsudeva bersabda: “Ia mengambil rupa para resi dan Gandharwa, juga rupa para Siddha dan Cāraṇa. Seluruh tubuh-Nya tampak pucat-putih karena dilumuri abu suci, dan di dahinya tersemat perhiasan bulan sabit.”

Word by Word

• ऋषि-गन्धर्व-रूपः: having the form of a rishi and a gandharva
• ऋषि-गन्धर्व-रूपः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋषि + गन्धर्व + रूप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सिद्ध-चारण-रूप-धृक्: bearing the forms of siddhas and cāraṇas
• सिद्ध-चारण-रूप-धृक्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्ध + चारण + रूप + धृक्(धृ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भस्म-पाण्ड्र-गात्रः: whose body is ash-white
• भस्म-पाण्ड्र-गात्रः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म + पाण्ड्र + गात्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• चन्द्र-अर्ध-कृत-भूषणः: wearing an ornament made as a half-moon
• चन्द्र-अर्ध-कृत-भूषणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्द्र + अर्ध + कृत + भूषण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Ṛṣi
• Gandharva
• Siddha
• Cāraṇa
• Bhasma (sacred ash)
• Half-moon ornament (candrārdha) on the forehead

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the divine’s many manifestations and recognizable ascetic marks: the ability to assume varied exalted forms (ṛṣi, gandharva, siddha, cāraṇa) and the emblematic signs of renunciation and sovereignty (sacred ash and the half-moon). Ethically, it points to reverence for spiritual attainment and the ideal of inner purity expressed through ascetic symbolism.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva is describing a revered deity’s appearance and attributes, emphasizing his shape-shifting into celestial and sage-like forms and his distinctive adornments—body whitened by ash and the half-moon on the forehead—features traditionally associated with Śiva.