देव्युवाच । अवश्यं यद्यहं रक्ता तव पादाबुंजद्वये । तथा त्वमेव मे नाथो भविष्यसि भवांतरे
devyuvāca | avaśyaṃ yadyahaṃ raktā tava pādābuṃjadvaye | tathā tvameva me nātho bhaviṣyasi bhavāṃtare
Devī berkata: “Jika benar aku berbakti pada sepasang kaki teratai-Mu, maka Engkau sahaja akan menjadi Tuhanku—bahkan dalam kelahiran yang lain.”
Devī
Listener: Audience within the frame narration (contextual)
Scene: Devī speaks with intense devotion, hands folded, gaze fixed on the Lord’s lotus-feet (symbolically shown), asserting eternal allegiance across births.
True bhakti is continuity of surrender—devotion to the Lord’s feet is affirmed as enduring beyond a single lifetime.
The chapter belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa framework, where devotion to Mahādeva is presented as the heart of Kāśī’s greatness.
No explicit rite; the verse centers on inner vow (bhakti-niścaya) and allegiance to Śiva.