Shloka 199
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
मघवन् मघवात्मान यं वदन्ति सुरेश्वरम । सर्वभूतगुरुं देवं वरं तस्माद् वृणीमहे,मघवन! ज्ञानी पुरुष जिन्हें देवेश्वर इन्द्ररूप तथा सम्पूर्ण भूतोंके गुरुदेव बताते हैं, उन्हींसे हम वर लेना चाहते हैं
maghavan maghavātmāna yaṁ vadanti sureśvaram | sarvabhūtaguruṁ devaṁ varaṁ tasmād vṛṇīmahe ||
Śakra nói: “Hỡi Maghavan, hỡi bậc tâm hồn cao quý—Đấng mà người đời tôn xưng là Chúa tể chư thiên, là bậc Thầy thiêng liêng của muôn loài: từ Ngài, chúng ta chọn cầu xin một ân huệ.”
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ethical seeking: a boon should be requested from the highest and most universally beneficent authority—one recognized as the ‘guru of all beings’—implying that true gifts are aligned with dharma and guided by wisdom rather than mere power.
Śakra (Indra), addressing ‘Maghavan,’ identifies a revered divine figure—described as the Lord of the gods and teacher of all beings—and declares the intention to request a boon from that exalted source.