Shloka 105

Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ

Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony

Devanagari script

शक्रेण तु पुरा देवो वाराणस्यां जनार्दन । आराधितो<भूद्‌ भक्तेन दिग्वासा भस्मगुण्ठित:

Transliteration

śakreṇa tu purā devo vārāṇasyāṃ janārdana | ārādhito 'bhūd bhaktena digvāsā bhasmaguṇṭhitaḥ ||

Translation

婆苏提婆说道：往昔在波罗奈城（Vārāṇasī），释迦罗（Śakra，因陀罗）以至诚之奉爱礼敬阎那尔达那（Janārdana）——彼时神现为“以虚空为衣”的苦行者（digvāsa），其身涂抹并覆以圣灰。

Word by Word

• शक्रेण: by Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• पुरा: formerly/once
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• देवः: the god (the Lord)
• देवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• जनार्दन: O Janārdana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• आराधितः: worshipped/propitiated
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + राध्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• अभूत्: was/became
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular

• भक्तेन: by a devotee
• भक्तेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• दिग्वासाः: sky-clad (naked)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिग्वासस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भस्मगुण्ठितः: smeared/covered with ash
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म + गुण्ठित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Janārdana (Vāsudeva/Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• Vārāṇasī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.