Shloka 162
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
गौर: श्यामस्तथा कृष्ण: पाण्डुरो धूमलोहित: । विकृताक्षो विशालाक्षो दिग्वासा: सर्ववासक:
gauraḥ śyāmas tathā kṛṣṇaḥ pāṇḍuro dhūmalohitaḥ | vikṛtākṣo viśālākṣo digvāsāḥ sarvavāsakaḥ ||
ວາສຸເທວະກ່າວວ່າ: «ພຣະອົງປາກົດໃນຮູບຫຼາຍປະການ—ບາງຄັ້ງຂາວ, ບາງຄັ້ງຄ່ອນຂ້າງຄ້ຳ, ບາງຄັ້ງດຳ, ບາງຄັ້ງຈາງ; ບາງຄັ້ງສີຄືຄວັນ ຫຼືສີແດງຄືທອງແດງ. ບາງຄັ້ງດວງຕາດູບິດເບືອນ; ແຕ່ບາງຄັ້ງກໍງາມດ້ວຍຕາກວ້າງໃຫຍ່. ບາງຄັ້ງພຣະອົງຖືກເຫັນເປືອຍກາຍ; ແລະບາງຄັ້ງກໍປະດັບດ້ວຍເຄື່ອງນຸ່ງຫົ່ມທຸກຊະນິດ».
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes the many-sidedness of a divine or exalted being: the same reality may be perceived in diverse, even contradictory, appearances (colors, eyes, clothing). Ethically, it cautions against judging spiritual truth by external form alone and points to a transcendent essence beyond changing attributes.
Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) is describing how the subject under discussion is seen in varying manifestations—different complexions, eye-forms, and modes of dress (from naked to fully adorned). The description functions as a catalog of appearances to convey variability of manifestation rather than a single fixed form.