Desiring to see the great Lord, Vishnu swiftly made his way to Mount Mandara. Upon beholding the mighty god, he bowed deeply, his hands joined in reverence, and spoke with humility: “O Lord, there is a brahmin named Upamanyu who, in his quest for milk, has renounced all comforts and embraced severe austerity. By your power, please restrain him from this path.” Hearing these words, Maheśvara, the great Lord Shiva, replied, “I will restrain the boy; you may return to your own hermitage.” Satisfied by Śambhu’s assurance, Vishnu, beloved of the gods, comforted the assembled immortals and returned to his divine abode. Meanwhile, the Supreme Lord Pinākī, Shiva himself, resolved to visit Upamanyu. Concealing his true form, he assumed the appearance of Indra, king of the gods. Accompanied by gods, asuras, siddhas, and mighty serpents, Sadāśiva, now appearing as Indra, journeyed to the forest where the young sage performed his penance, riding upon a splendid white elephant. The magnificent elephant fanned the Lord with a divine yak-tail fan, while Indra, together with Śacī, held a radiant white parasol in his left hand. In this glorious guise, Soma—Sadāśiva as Indra—shone resplendent beneath the parasol, like Mount Mandara gleaming under the orb of the moon. Thus transformed, the Supreme Lord approached Upamanyu’s hermitage, intent on bestowing his grace. When Upamanyu saw the Supreme Lord Shiva in the form of Indra, he bowed his head in deep reverence and spoke: “O Lord of the gods, my hermitage is sanctified by your presence. That you, greatest among the gods, have come here yourself is a blessing beyond measure.” Having spoken thus, and seeing the brahmin standing with hands joined in devotion, Hara—still bearing Indra’s form—addressed him in a voice deep as thunder: “I am pleased with you, steadfast one. Ask for a boon, for your austerity has moved me. O great sage, elder brother of Dhaumya, I shall grant you all your desires.” Thus addressed, the foremost of sages, hands joined, replied humbly, “I ask only for unwavering devotion to Śiva.” Indra, lord of the three worlds and honored by all the gods, responded, “Become my devotee, O best of sages. Worship me alone, and I will grant you every blessing. Abandon Rudra, the formless one.” He continued, “What purpose will Rudra, the formless one, serve for you? He has been cast out from the ranks of the gods and is now like a demon.” Hearing these words, the sage—reciting the sacred five-syllable mantra—recognized this as an obstacle to righteousness and spoke his mind: “All this you have said springs from a tendency to disparage Bhava, and in doing so, you have described the supreme god as beyond attributes.” He continued with conviction, “I do not truly know Rudra, the Lord of all gods and lords, the father of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesha, who is beyond Prakriti. That which is called by the knowers of Brahman as existent and non-existent, manifest and unmanifest, eternal, one and many—I choose that supreme. That supreme, free from all arguments of causality, bestower of the fruits of Sāṃkhya and Yoga, whom the knowers of truth worship—I choose that as the best. There is no higher reality than Shambhu, the cause of all causes, the creator of Brahma, Vishnu, and other gods, who transcends all qualities.” He declared further, “What more need be said? Now I have grasped the great truth: if in a previous birth I have committed the sin of hearing slander of Bhava—then, having heard such slander, one should immediately abandon one’s own body; by doing so, one quickly attains the world of Shiva. Let my desire for milk be set aside, O lowest of gods; by slaying you with Shiva’s weapon, I shall abandon this body.” Having spoken thus, Upamanyu resolved to give up his life, relinquishing even his wish for milk, and prepared to strike Indra. Taking fearsome ashes empowered with the Aghora missile, he hurled them at Indra and roared mightily. Remembering the twin feet of Shambhu, Upamanyu prepared to dissolve his own body, sustaining his fiery concentration. As the brahmin stood thus resolved, the Lord—destroyer of Bhaga’s eye—gently restrained his yogic focus. By the command of Nandīśvara, Nandī, beloved of Shankara, seized the Aghora missile released amid the tumult. Then, assuming his true, resplendent form, the Supreme Lord revealed himself to Upamanyu, adorned with the crescent moon upon his brow. He showed the boy a thousand oceans of milk, as well as oceans of nectar, curds, and clarified butter. He revealed also an ocean of fruits, and oceans of food and delicacies, even a mountain of cakes, all for Upamanyu’s delight. There, the god appeared together with the goddess, seated upon the noble bull, surrounded by the lords of the hosts and divine weapons such as the trident. In the heavens, celestial drums resounded, a shower of flowers fell, and the ten directions filled with the presence of gods led by Vishnu, Brahma, and Indra. Overwhelmed by waves of bliss, Upamanyu fell prostrate upon the ground, his heart overflowing with devotion. At that moment, the blessed Lord Bhava, smiling, called to him, “Come, come,” and, drawing him near, gently smelled his head and granted him boons. “Eat whatever food you desire, together with your kin, always; be happy, ever free from sorrow, devoted to me. O Upamanyu, greatly fortunate, this Parvati is your mother; today I have made her my daughter and given you the ocean of milk.” Thus, the Lord’s grace descended fully upon Upamanyu, whose devotion and austerity were rewarded beyond measure.