Shloka 70

Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ

Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony

Devanagari script

इह्ैनं दैवतश्रेष्ठं देवा: सर्षिगणा: पुरा । तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण सत्येन च दमेन च

Transliteration

ihainaṁ daivataśreṣṭhaṁ devāḥ sarṣigaṇāḥ purā | tapasā brahmacaryeṇa satyena ca damena ca ||

Translation

یہاں قدیم زمانے میں دیوتاؤں نے رِشیوں کے گروہ کے ساتھ تپسیا، برہماچریہ، سچائی اور دَم (حواس پر ضبط) کے ذریعے اس دَیوتَشریشٹھ کی آرادھنا کر کے اعلیٰ ترین دیویت کو حاصل کیا۔

Word by Word

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• एनम्: him/this one
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दैवतश्रेष्ठम्: the best among the gods
• दैवतश्रेष्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैवतश्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्षिगणाः: the groups of sages (together with sages)
• सर्षिगणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्षिगण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पुरा: formerly, in olden times
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• ब्रह्मचर्येण: by celibacy / studentship
• ब्रह्मचर्येण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• सत्येन: by truth
• सत्येन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• दमेन: by self-control
• दमेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (speaker)
• devāḥ (the gods)
• ṛṣis (seers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the highest divine goal is approached through ethical and ascetic disciplines—tapas (austerity), brahmacarya (regulated conduct/celibacy), satya (truthfulness), and dama (self-restraint)—rather than through mere status or force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva recalls an ancient precedent: even the gods, along with assemblies of seers, relied on disciplined practices to honor/attain the supreme divinity, using their example to validate the path of moral restraint and spiritual effort.