Shloka 191
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
यदि नाम जन्म भूयो भवति मदीयेै: पुनर्दोषै: । तस्मिंस्तस्मिउजन्मनि भवे भवेन्मे$क्षया भक्ति:
yadi nāma janma bhūyo bhavati madīyaiḥ punardoṣaiḥ | tasmiṃs tasmiñ janmani bhave bhave me 'kṣayā bhaktiḥ ||
Vāsudeva berkata: “Sekalipun karena kesalahanku yang berulang aku harus lahir kembali berkali-kali di dunia ini, inilah harapanku: pada setiap kelahiran itu, semoga bhakti-ku kepada Dewa Śiva tetap tak berkurang, tak binasa.”
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even if one must undergo repeated rebirth due to one’s own faults, the highest aspiration is to preserve unwavering devotion to the divine; enduring bhakti is presented as a stabilizing ethical and spiritual aim across changing lives.
Vāsudeva expresses a vow-like wish: should he be compelled to return to worldly existence again and again, he asks that in every such birth his devotion to Lord Śiva remain constant and imperishable.