Shloka 65

Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ

Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony

Devanagari script

शिरसा वन्दमानं मामुपमन्युरभाषत

Transliteration

śirasā vandamānaṃ mām upamanyur abhāṣata | puṇḍarīkākṣa! svāgataṃ te | tvaṃ pūjanīyo bhūtvā mama pūjāṃ karoṣi, darśanīyo bhūtvā ca mama darśanam icchasi; anena naḥ tapasāṃ saphalatā jātā ||

Translation

Nang ako’y yumuko at nagbigay-galang, nagsalita sa akin si Upamanyu: “O Puṇḍarīkākṣa (may matang gaya ng lotus), maligayang pagdating. Bagama’t ikaw ang karapat-dapat sambahin, ikaw pa ang sumasamba sa akin; bagama’t ikaw ang karapat-dapat pagmasdan, ikaw pa ang nagnanais na masilayan ako. Sa ganito, nagbunga ang aming pag-aayuno at pagninilay.”

Word by Word

• शिरसा: with (my) head
• शिरसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वन्दमानम्: bowing/saluting
• वन्दमानम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: वन्द्
• Form: शानच् (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• उपमन्युः: Upamanyu
• उपमन्युः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपमन्यु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभाषत: spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Upamanyu

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that genuine spiritual greatness is marked by humility and reverence. When one who is himself worthy of worship chooses to honor an ascetic, it affirms the value of tapas and shows that dharma is upheld through respectful conduct rather than status.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva bows to the sage Upamanyu. Seeing this, Upamanyu welcomes him as Puṇḍarīkākṣa and remarks that Kṛṣṇa—though venerable and worthy to be seen—still worships and seeks the sage’s audience, making the sages feel their austerities have achieved their intended fruit.