अध्याय १६ — शङ्कर-उमा-वरदानम् तथा तण्डि-स्तुतिः (Śaṅkara–Umā Boon-Granting and Taṇḍi’s Hymn)
अत्युग्रं तेजसां तेजस्तपसां परमं तप: । तण्डिने कहा--सर्वश्रेष्ठ परमेश्वर! आप पवित्रोंमें भी परम पवित्र तथा गतिशील प्राणियोंकी उत्तम गति हैं। तेजोंमें अत्यन्त उग्र तेज और तपस्याओंमें उत्कृष्ट तप हैं ।।
atyugraṃ tejasāṃ tejas tapasāṃ paramaṃ tapaḥ | taṇḍine kathā—sarvaśreṣṭha parameśvara! tvaṃ pavitrāṇām api paramaḥ pavitraḥ tathā gatiśīla-prāṇināṃ uttamā gatiḥ | tejāṃsy atyanta-ugraṃ tejaḥ, tapasāṃ ca utkṛṣṭaṃ tapaḥ ||
Pinuri ni Vāyu-deva ang Kataas-taasang Panginoon: “O Pinakamainam, Kataas-taasang Īśvara! Ikaw ang pinakadalisay kahit sa gitna ng mga dalisay, at ikaw ang pinakamataas na hantungan ng mga nilalang na gumagalaw at nabubuhay. Sa lahat ng ningning, ikaw ang pinakamasidhing ningning; sa lahat ng tapas (pagpapakasakit at disiplina), ikaw ang pinakadakilang tapas.”
वायुदेव उवाच
The verse teaches that the Supreme Lord is the ultimate measure of purity, power, and ascetic excellence—greater than all radiance and higher than all tapas—so devotion and ethical aspiration should be oriented toward Him as the highest refuge and standard.
Vāyu-deva is offering a hymn of praise, describing the Lord with superlative epithets: the fiercest splendor, the supreme austerity, the purest purity, and the highest destination for living beings.