Shloka 181

Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ

Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony

Devanagari script

जन्म श्व॒पाकम ध्ये5पि मे5स्तु हरचरणवन्दनरतस्य । मा वानीश्वरभक्तो भवानि भवने5पि शक्रस्य

Transliteration

janma śvapākam adyāpi me 'stu hara-caraṇa-vandana-ratasya | mā vāniśvara-bhakto bhavāni bhavane 'pi śakrasya ||

Translation

വാസുദേവൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹരന്റെ (ശങ്കരന്റെ) പാദങ്ങളിൽ വന്ദനയിൽ നിരതനായി ഇരിക്കാനുള്ള അവസരം ലഭിക്കുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ, എന്റെ ജനനം ചാണ്ഡാലരിൽ ആയാലും അതെനിക്ക് സമ്മതം. എന്നാൽ ശിവനോടുള്ള അനന്യഭക്തിയില്ലാതെ ഇന്ദ്രന്റെ ഭവനത്തിൽ പോലും വാസം എനിക്ക് വേണ്ട.

Word by Word

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• श्वपाके: in a caṇḍāla/outcaste (state/community)
• श्वपाके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वपाक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• मे: of me / my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• अस्तु: let it be / may it be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperative, 3rd, Singular

• हर-चरण-वन्दन-रतस्य: of one devoted to the worship (veneration) of Hari's feet
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरचरणवन्दनरत
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• मा: not (prohibitive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा

• वानीश्वर-भक्तः: a devotee of the Lord of speech (Bṛhaspati / Sarasvatī's lord, i.e., a learned/eloquent devotee)
• वानीश्वर-भक्तः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानीश्वरभक्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भूवम्: be (you) / may I be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular

• भवने: in the house/palace
• भवने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• शक्रस्य: of Śakra (Indra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Hara (Śiva)
• Īśvara (the Lord, Śiva)
• Śakra (Indra)
• śvapāka/caṇḍāla (outcaste community)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True spiritual worth lies in unwavering devotion to the Lord (here, Śiva), not in social rank or heavenly privilege. Even the lowest birth is acceptable if it supports sincere worship, while the highest worldly or celestial status is undesirable without devotion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva expresses a value-judgment: he prefers any condition of life—even an outcaste birth—so long as he can remain absorbed in venerating Śiva’s feet, and he rejects even Indra’s palace if it would mean living without single-minded devotion.