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 ||
Vāsudeva nói: Thuở xưa, tại Vārāṇasī, thần Janārdana đã được Śakra (Indra) chí thành thờ phụng—Ngài hiện thân như một ẩn sĩ “mặc trời” (digvāsa), thân mình bôi và phủ đầy tro thiêng.
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.