Shloka 70

Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ

Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony

Devanagari script

इह्ैनं दैवतश्रेष्ठं देवा: सर्षिगणा: पुरा । तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण सत्येन च दमेन च

Transliteration

ihainaṁ daivataśreṣṭhaṁ devāḥ sarṣigaṇāḥ purā | tapasā brahmacaryeṇa satyena ca damena ca ||

Translation

ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಪೂರ್ವಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ದೇವರುಗಳು ಋಷಿಗಣಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ತಪಸ್ಸು, ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಚರ್ಯ, ಸತ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ದಮ (ಇಂದ್ರಿಯನಿಗ್ರಹ)ಗಳಿಂದ ಈ ದೈವತಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠನನ್ನು ಆರಾಧಿಸಿ ಪರಮ ದೈವತ್ವವನ್ನು ಪಡೆದರು।

Word by Word

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• एनम्: him/this one
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दैवतश्रेष्ठम्: the best among the gods
• दैवतश्रेष्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैवतश्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्षिगणाः: the groups of sages (together with sages)
• सर्षिगणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्षिगण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पुरा: formerly, in olden times
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• ब्रह्मचर्येण: by celibacy / studentship
• ब्रह्मचर्येण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• सत्येन: by truth
• सत्येन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• दमेन: by self-control
• दमेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (speaker)
• devāḥ (the gods)
• ṛṣis (seers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the highest divine goal is approached through ethical and ascetic disciplines—tapas (austerity), brahmacarya (regulated conduct/celibacy), satya (truthfulness), and dama (self-restraint)—rather than through mere status or force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva recalls an ancient precedent: even the gods, along with assemblies of seers, relied on disciplined practices to honor/attain the supreme divinity, using their example to validate the path of moral restraint and spiritual effort.