Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
कस्यचित् त्वथ कालस्य धौम्येन सह माधव । आगच्छमाश्रमं क्रडिन् मुनीनां भावितात्मनाम्
kasyacit tv atha kālasya dhaumyena saha mādhava | āgaccham āśramaṁ krīḍan munīnāṁ bhāvitātmanām ||
ครั้นกาลหนึ่ง โอ้มาธวะ เราเล่นอยู่กับธौมยะ แล้วได้ไปถึงอาศรมของเหล่ามุนีผู้ฝึกตนจนจิตผ่องใส
वासुदेव उवाच
The verse implicitly honors the āśrama and the munis as centers of disciplined life: even in play, one is drawn toward sanctity and the company of the spiritually cultivated (bhāvitātman). It suggests that proximity to the wise and to sacred spaces supports ethical formation.
Vāsudeva recounts a past incident: at some time he arrived, while playing, at the hermitage of purified sages, accompanied by Dhaumya. This functions as the narrative setup for whatever instruction or event follows in the chapter.