Shloka 24
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
तस्याहमसुरघ्नस्य कांश्चिद् भगवतो गुणान् । भवतां कीर्तयिष्यामि व्रतेशाय यथातथम्,अतः मैं उन असुरविनाशक व्रतेश्वर भगवान् शंकरके कुछ गुणोंका आपलोगोंके समक्ष यथार्थरूपसे वर्णन करूँगा
tasyāham asuraghnasya kāṁścid bhagavato guṇān | bhavatāṁ kīrtayiṣyāmi vrateśāya yathātatham ||
Kini akan kuwartakan kepada kalian, dengan benar sebagaimana adanya, beberapa sifat Sang Bhagavān—Śiva, pembinasa para asura dan penguasa kaul (vrata).
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames truthful praise (kīrtana) of divine virtues as a dharmic act: one should speak of the Lord’s qualities accurately (yathātatham), recognizing Śiva as the protector who destroys anti-dharmic forces (asuraghna) and as the exemplar and master of disciplined vows (vrateśa).
Vāsudeva announces that he will describe, for the listeners, some of Śaṅkara’s attributes. This serves as a transition into a focused eulogy or account of Śiva’s greatness, presented as faithful and fact-based rather than exaggerated.