Shloka 88
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
आविश्य योगेनात्मानं त्रीणि वर्षशतान्यपि । तस्य चोपददौ पुत्रान् सहस्न॑ क्रतुसम्मितान्
āviśya yogenātmānaṃ trīṇi varṣaśatāny api | tasya copadadau putrān sahasraṃ kratusammitān ||
Dengan yoga ia masuk ke dalam dirinya sendiri dan tetap tenggelam demikian selama tiga ratus tahun. Berkenan akan hal itu, Śaṅkara menganugerahinya seribu putra, sebanding dengan Kratu dalam kemuliaan dan kedudukan.
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that long, steady yogic discipline and focused devotion are portrayed as powerful means to attain one’s legitimate aims, culminating in divine favor; it also implies that spiritual effort (tapas/yoga) is ethically valued when pursued with perseverance and restraint.
Vāsudeva recounts an earlier example: Kratu, son of Svayambhū, practiced yogic absorption for three hundred years with Śiva as the object of contemplation, and Śiva rewarded him by granting a thousand sons, described as ‘kratu-sammitāḥ’ (comparable to Kratu or to sacrificial merit).