Shloka 190
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
दिवसकरशशाड्कवद्िदीप्तं त्रिभुवनसारमसारमाद्यमेकम् । अजरममरमप्रसाद्य रुद्रं जगति पुमानिह को लभेत शान्तिम्
divākarāśaśāṅkavahnidīptaṃ tribhuvanasāram asāram ādyam ekam | ajaram amaram aprasādya rudraṃ jagati pumān iha ko labheta śāntim ||
Vāsudeva berkata: “Dia yang bersinar oleh cahaya matahari, bulan, dan api; yang merupakan inti dari tiga dunia, di atas-Nya tiada ‘inti’ yang lebih tinggi; yang menjadi sebab mula alam semesta, tiada duanya, tak lahir dan tak mati—tanpa terlebih dahulu menyenangkan Dewa Rudra melalui bhakti, manusia mana di dunia ini dapat meraih kedamaian?”
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Peace (śānti) is presented as dependent on divine grace: one must please Rudra through devotion. The verse frames Rudra as the unique, primordial, deathless essence behind the cosmos, implying that ethical and spiritual tranquility is not merely self-made but arises from alignment with and surrender to the highest reality.
Vāsudeva speaks in praise of Rudra, describing him with cosmic attributes (illumined by sun, moon, and fire; essence of the three worlds) and concludes with a rhetorical question: without propitiating Rudra, who can attain peace in the world? The speech functions as a theological affirmation and a devotional exhortation.