The blessed Lord, radiant with a gentle smile, gazed upon Upamanyu, who stood surrounded by his relatives. Girijā, the compassionate goddess, smiled as well, her eyes full of kindness. Addressing Upamanyu with warmth, the Lord spoke, “My child, enjoy all pleasures as you wish, together with your family. Today, I have made you my very own son. I bestow upon you the ocean of milk, the ocean of honey, and the ocean of curds. I also grant you the ocean of clarified butter, the ocean of fruits and sweets, mountains of cakes, and yet again, the ocean of foods for you to enjoy and delight in. “O sage, know this: your father is the great god Mahadeva, the father of all worlds. Your mother is the mother of the universe herself—there is no doubt of this, O most fortunate one. I grant you immortality and eternal lordship over the Ganas. If there are further boons you desire, ask without hesitation, for I shall grant them.” Having spoken thus, Mahadeva embraced Upamanyu with his own hands, affectionately smelling his head. Together with Devi, Bhava showered blessings upon him. Devi, beholding her son and pleased with his devotion, granted him mastery in yoga and the supreme knowledge of Brahman. Filled with joy at receiving her boon and the gift of perpetual youth, Upamanyu praised Mahadeva, his voice trembling with emotion. Bowing again and again, his hands joined in reverence, he made a further request to the stainless-eyed Lord: “Be gracious, Lord of gods. May unwavering faith and your presence, O Mahadeva, always abide within me.” Pleased by these words, Shankara smiled and granted the desired boon to the devoted Brahmin. Then, in an instant, the Lord vanished from sight. It was at this time that Vasudeva Krishna, whose actions are ever pure, beheld Upamanyu. From Dhaumya’s elder brother, Krishna received the divine vow of Pāśupata. How did Krishna, the wise one, attain this sacred knowledge? Listen, for this story destroys all sin. Though Vasudeva, the eternal Lord, had descended by his own will, he performed bodily purification, as if reproaching the limitations of human existence. Desiring a son, the Blessed Lord went to perform austerities and, arriving at Upamanyu’s ashram, beheld the sage. With great respect, Krishna bowed to Dhaumya’s elder brother and circumambulated him three times. Merely by the sight of that sage, all impurities arising from Krishna’s body and actions were dispelled. Upamanyu, resplendent in his spiritual power, sprinkled sacred ashes and addressed Krishna as Agni, as Vayu, and by other divine names. With a delighted mind, he imparted to Krishna the divine knowledge of Pāśupata. By the sage’s grace, Krishna became worthy of this supreme vow. After a year of intense austerity, Krishna beheld Maheshvara, calm and accompanied by Samba and his attendants, and as a result, he obtained a son. From that time onward, ascetic sages devoted to vows always remained with Krishna, who was now endowed with the divine Pāśupata vow. Now, hear of another practice, always taught for the liberation of living beings: one should make a golden girdle and carry a staff for support. Men or women should fashion a golden seat, a fan, a staff, as well as an inkpot and a pen. Razors, scissors, or a vessel—these too should be given to a Pāśupata yogin whose body is smeared with sacred ashes. These offerings should be made of gold, silver, or copper, according to one’s means, and the yogin should be honored with wisdom and devotion. All those who make such offerings, together with their entire families, are freed from all sin and attain the divine state of Rudra—there can be no doubt of this. By such giving, a householder is liberated from worldly existence, for by offering to yogins, Śiva is quickly pleased. If one desires the highest liberation, one should even give away one’s kingdom, sons, auspicious wealth, horses, vehicles, or all one’s possessions. With this impermanent body, one should diligently pursue the eternal goal—the auspicious Pāśupata path, the means to cross the ocean of worldly existence. All this has been told in brief; let there be no doubt—whoever recites or hears this sacred account attains the world of Viṣṇu.