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 ||
Wika ni Vāsudeva: Noong unang panahon, sa Vārāṇasī, sinamba ni Śakra (Indra) nang may taimtim na debosyon ang diyos na Janārdana—na nagpakita bilang isang asetikong “nakadamit ng langit” (digvāsa), ang katawan ay pinahiran at binalot ng banal na abo.
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.