Shloka 100

Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ

Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony

Devanagari script

शाकल्य: संशितात्मा वै नववर्षशतान्यपि । आराधयामास भवं मनोयज्ञेन केशव,केशव! शाकल्य ऋषिके मनमें सदा संशय बना रहता था। उन्होंने मनोमय यज्ञ (ध्यान)-के द्वारा भगवान्‌ शिवकी नौ सौ वर्षोतक आराधना की

Transliteration

Śākalyaḥ saṁśitātmā vai navavarṣaśatāny api | ārādhayāmāsa bhavaṁ manoyajñena Keśava ||

Translation

วาสุเทวะกล่าวว่า “โอ้ เกศวะ! ฤๅษีศากัลยะ ผู้มั่นคงและสำรวมตน ได้บูชาภวะ (พระศิวะ) ด้วยมโนยัญ—ยัญภายในแห่งจิต—และดำรงภักติอันแน่วแน่นั้นตลอดเก้าร้อยปี”

Word by Word

शाकल्यःŚākalya (the sage)

संशितात्माone whose self is disciplined/controlled

वैindeed

नवnine

वर्षशतानिhundreds of years (i.e., year-centuries)

अपिeven/also

आराधयामासworshipped/propitiated

भवम्Bhava (Śiva)

मनोयज्ञेनby a mental sacrifice (worship by meditation)

केशवO Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

केशवO Keśava!

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

Śākalya (ṛṣi)

Bhava (Śiva)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that sustained inner discipline and mental worship (manoyajña) can be a profound form of devotion. Ethical strength is shown through perseverance, self-control, and concentrated intention rather than reliance only on outward ritual.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa), addressing Keśava, recounts how the sage Śākalya devotedly propitiated Bhava (Śiva) for nine hundred years through an inward, meditative ‘sacrifice of the mind,’ emphasizing the power of long-term tapas and devotion.