Shloka 136
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
को हि तत्त्वेन तद् वेद ईशस्य चरितं शुभम् । कृतवान् यानि रूपाणि देवदेव: पुरा किल | क्रीडते च तथा शर्व: प्रसीदति यथा च वै
ko hi tattvena tad veda īśasya caritaṁ śubham | kṛtavān yāni rūpāṇi devadevaḥ purā kila || krīḍate ca tathā śarvaḥ prasīdati yathā ca vai |
ヴァースデーヴァは言った。「まことに、主の吉祥なる御業とその深奥を、誰が余すところなく知り得ようか。はるかな昔、神々の神マハーデーヴァは、いかなる姿をお取りになったのか。さらに、シャルヴァ（Śarva、シヴァ）が神聖なる戯れにいかに遊び、いかなるあり方で御心を満たされるのか—誰がそれを悟り得よう。」この偈は、神性の前における人智の限界を示し、思い上がった断定ではなく、謙虚と敬虔なる帰依を促す。
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches epistemic humility in matters of the divine: the Lord’s manifestations and the ways Śiva delights or is pleased are ultimately beyond complete human grasp. Therefore one should approach the divine with reverence, devotion, and restraint from dogmatic claims.
Vāsudeva reflects on the inscrutability of Śiva’s sacred deeds—His past manifestations, His divine play, and the conditions of His grace—framing the discussion as a reminder that divine conduct cannot be fully measured by ordinary human standards.