Shloka 28
Adhyāya 283: Varṇa-vṛtti, Nyāya-ārjana, and the Decline-and-Restoration of Dharma (वर्णवृत्तिः न्यायार्जनं च)
श्रीभगवानुवाच नात्मानं॑ स्तौमि देवेशि पश्य मे तनुमध्यमे । यं स्रक्ष्यामि वरारोहे यागार्थे वरवर्णिनि
śrībhagavān uvāca — nātmānaṁ staumi deveśi paśya me tanumadhyame | yaṁ sṛkṣyāmi varārohe yāgārthe varavarṇini ||
ಶ್ರೀಭಗವಾನ್ ಶಿವನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ದೇವೇಶ್ವರಿ! ಸೊಂಟಸಣ್ಣವಳೇ! ಶುಭನಿತಂಬಿನಿ! ಶುಭವರ್ಣಿನಿ! ನಾನು ನನ್ನನ್ನೇ ಸ್ತುತಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ನನ್ನ ಪ್ರಭಾವವನ್ನು ನೋಡು. ಯಜ್ಞಾರ್ಥವಾಗಿ—ಮತ್ತು ನಿನ್ನ ದುಃಖಕ್ಕೆ ಕಾರಣವಾದ ಆ ಯಜ್ಞವನ್ನು ನಾಶಮಾಡಲು—ನಾನು ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಸಲಿರುವ ಆ ವೀರನನ್ನು ನೋಡು।
दक्ष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores restraint and truthfulness in self-presentation (“I do not praise myself”) while affirming that divine power is shown through action, especially to uphold moral order when ritual becomes tainted by arrogance and causes harm.
Śiva addresses the Goddess, asking her to witness his power as he prepares to create a formidable being/hero for the purpose of destroying the sacrifice (yajña) that has become the source of her suffering—an allusion to the disruption of Dakṣa’s sacrifice after insult and wrongdoing.