Shloka 150

Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ

Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony

Devanagari script

ऋषिगन्धर्वरूपश्व सिद्धचारणरूपधृक्‌ । भस्मपाण्ड्रगात्रश्न चन्द्रार्थकृतभूषण:

Transliteration

ṛṣigandharvarūpaś ca siddhacāraṇarūpadhṛk | bhasmapāṇḍragātraś ca candrārdhakṛtabhūṣaṇaḥ ||

Translation

Vāsudeva nói: “Ngài mang hình tướng của các bậc hiền triết và Gandharva, lại cũng nhận lấy hình tướng của Siddha và Cāraṇa. Toàn thân Ngài hiện sắc trắng nhạt vì được xoa phủ tro thiêng, và trên trán Ngài đeo trang sức vầng trăng khuyết.”

Word by Word

• ऋषि-गन्धर्व-रूपः: having the form of a rishi and a gandharva
• ऋषि-गन्धर्व-रूपः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋषि + गन्धर्व + रूप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• सिद्ध-चारण-रूप-धृक्: bearing the forms of siddhas and cāraṇas
• सिद्ध-चारण-रूप-धृक्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्ध + चारण + रूप + धृक्(धृ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भस्म-पाण्ड्र-गात्रः: whose body is ash-white
• भस्म-पाण्ड्र-गात्रः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म + पाण्ड्र + गात्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• चन्द्र-अर्ध-कृत-भूषणः: wearing an ornament made as a half-moon
• चन्द्र-अर्ध-कृत-भूषणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्द्र + अर्ध + कृत + भूषण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Ṛṣi
• Gandharva
• Siddha
• Cāraṇa
• Bhasma (sacred ash)
• Half-moon ornament (candrārdha) on the forehead

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the divine’s many manifestations and recognizable ascetic marks: the ability to assume varied exalted forms (ṛṣi, gandharva, siddha, cāraṇa) and the emblematic signs of renunciation and sovereignty (sacred ash and the half-moon). Ethically, it points to reverence for spiritual attainment and the ideal of inner purity expressed through ascetic symbolism.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva is describing a revered deity’s appearance and attributes, emphasizing his shape-shifting into celestial and sage-like forms and his distinctive adornments—body whitened by ash and the half-moon on the forehead—features traditionally associated with Śiva.