Shloka 88
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
आविश्य योगेनात्मानं त्रीणि वर्षशतान्यपि । तस्य चोपददौ पुत्रान् सहस्न॑ क्रतुसम्मितान्
āviśya yogenātmānaṃ trīṇi varṣaśatāny api | tasya copadadau putrān sahasraṃ kratusammitān ||
Vāsudeva disse: “Entrando em si mesmo por meio do yoga, permaneceu absorto por trezentos anos. Satisfeito com isso, Śaṅkara concedeu-lhe mil filhos, comparáveis a Kratu.”
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that long, steady yogic discipline and focused devotion are portrayed as powerful means to attain one’s legitimate aims, culminating in divine favor; it also implies that spiritual effort (tapas/yoga) is ethically valued when pursued with perseverance and restraint.
Vāsudeva recounts an earlier example: Kratu, son of Svayambhū, practiced yogic absorption for three hundred years with Śiva as the object of contemplation, and Śiva rewarded him by granting a thousand sons, described as ‘kratu-sammitāḥ’ (comparable to Kratu or to sacrificial merit).