Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अयं मुनिगण: सर्वस्तपस्तेप इति प्रभो | तपोवेषकरो लोके भ्रमते विविधाकृति:,प्रभो! यह जो मुनियोंका सारा समुदाय यहाँ उपस्थित है, सदा तपस्यामें संलग्न रहा है और तपस्वीका वेष धारण किये लोकमें भ्रमण कर रहा है; इन सबकी आकृति भिन्न-भिन्न प्रकारकी है। शत्रुदमन शिव! इस ऋषिसमुदायका तथा मेरा भी प्रिय करनेकी इच्छासे आप मेरे इस संदेहका समाधान करें

Transliteration

ayaṁ munigaṇaḥ sarvas tapas tepa iti prabho | tapoveṣakaro loke bhramate vividhākṛtiḥ, prabho |

Translation

นารทกล่าวว่า “ข้าแต่พระผู้เป็นเจ้า หมู่มุนีทั้งปวงนี้ได้บำเพ็ญตบะจริง ๆ สวมคราบนักบวชแล้วเที่ยวไปในโลกด้วยรูปลักษณ์นานาประการ ข้าแต่พระผู้เป็นเจ้า เพื่อให้เป็นที่พอใจแก่หมู่ฤๅษีนี้และแก่ข้าพเจ้าด้วย โปรดคลี่คลายความสงสัยนี้ของข้าพเจ้าเถิด”

Word by Word

अयम्this

मुनि-गणःgroup of sages

सर्वःentire, all

तपःausterity, penance

तेपेperformed (austerity)

इतिthus

प्रभोO lord

तपः-वेष-करःwearing the garb of an ascetic

लोकेin the world

भ्रमतेwanders

विविध-आकृतिःof diverse forms

प्रभोO lord

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

munigaṇa (assembly of sages)

Prabhu (the Lord addressed; contextually Śiva in this chapter)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tension between inner spiritual discipline (tapas) and mere external markers (the ascetic’s dress). It frames a sincere inquiry: how to understand beings who appear as ascetics and move through the world in varied forms, urging discernment beyond appearances.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada addresses the Lord (Śiva in this context), pointing to an assembled host of sages who have practiced austerity and now wander the world in diverse appearances. He requests that his doubt about them be clarified, asking for an explanation that will be pleasing to the sages and to himself.