Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
शक्र उवाच कः पुनर्भवने हेतुरीशे कारणकारणे । येन शरवददृतेडन्यस्मात् प्रसादं नाभिकाड्क्षसि
śakra uvāca: kaḥ punar bhavane hetur īśe kāraṇa-kāraṇe | yena śaravad adṛṣṭe ’nyasmāt prasādaṁ nābhikāṅkṣasi ||
释迦罗(因陀罗)问道:“噢主宰,诸因之因!你确信湿婆——宇宙之主——确实存在且至高无上,其缘由与凭证是什么?以致除湿婆之外,你不愿从任何别的神祇那里求取恩泽与垂怜?”
शक्र उवाच
The verse frames a theological-ethical inquiry: true devotion is grounded in a reasoned conviction about the highest principle (‘cause of causes’). Indra asks what warrants exclusive reliance on Śiva’s grace rather than seeking favors from multiple deities.
Indra (Śakra) questions the interlocutor (contextually Brahmā) about the basis for his certainty regarding Śiva’s supreme status, asking why he does not seek or accept grace from any other divine power besides Śiva.