Shloka 105
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
शक्रेण तु पुरा देवो वाराणस्यां जनार्दन । आराधितो<भूद् भक्तेन दिग्वासा भस्मगुण्ठित:
śakreṇa tu purā devo vārāṇasyāṃ janārdana | ārādhito 'bhūd bhaktena digvāsā bhasmaguṇṭhitaḥ ||
Васудева сказал: В древние времена, в Варанаси, бог Джанардана был почитаем Шакрой (Индрой) с преданностью — явившись как аскет «облачённый в небо» (дигваса), с телом, натёртым и покрытым священным пеплом.
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
True worship is grounded in bhakti and humility; the Divine may appear in austere or unexpected forms, and reverence should not depend on external appearance or rank.
Vāsudeva recounts an earlier episode: in Vārāṇasī, Śakra (Indra) worshipped Janārdana, who is described as appearing like a sky-clad ascetic covered in sacred ash.