As the Lord of the gods arrived at the hermitage, the sage’s heart overflowed with reverence. “O Lord of the universe,” he said, “your very presence has sanctified my humble dwelling. I am truly blessed that you, greatest among the gods, have come here yourself.” Having spoken thus, the sage stood before the Lord, hands joined in devotion. Hara, who had taken the form of Indra, addressed him in a deep and resonant voice: “I am pleased with you, steadfast sage. Ask for a boon—your austerity has moved me. O great one, elder brother of Dhaumya, I shall grant you any desire.” Hearing these gracious words, the foremost of sages, with palms pressed together, replied humbly, “I seek only 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, always, and I shall grant you every blessing. Abandon Rudra, the formless one.” He continued, “What need have you for Rudra, the formless one? He has been cast out from the ranks of the gods and is now as one among demons.” Hearing this, the sage, reciting the sacred five-syllable mantra, perceived these words as an obstacle to righteousness. He spoke out, “All that you have said springs from a tendency to disparage Bhava. In doing so, you have incidentally described the supreme god as without attributes.” He continued, “Truly, I do not know Rudra, the Lord of all gods and lords, the father of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesha, who is beyond Prakriti. That which the knowers of Brahman call both existent and non-existent, manifest and unmanifest, eternal, one and many—that supreme I choose.” He declared further, “That supreme who is beyond arguments of causality, the bestower of the fruits of Sāṃkhya and Yoga, whom the knowers of truth worship—that I choose as the highest. There is no reality higher than Shambhu, the cause of all causes, the creator of Brahma, Vishnu, and the other gods, who transcends all qualities.” “What more need be said?” he concluded. “Now I have realized the great truth: if in some previous birth I have committed the sin of hearing slander of Bhava, then, having heard such slander, one should at once abandon one’s body; by doing so, one swiftly attains Shiva’s world.” The sage’s resolve was fierce. “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, casting aside even his wish for milk, resolved to die and prepared to strike down Indra. He seized fearsome ashes, empowered with the Aghora missile, and hurled them at Indra with a mighty roar, his determination blazing. Remembering the twin feet of Shambhu, Upamanyu prepared to dissolve his body in the fire of yogic concentration. But as he was thus resolved, the Lord—destroyer of Bhaga’s eye—gently restrained his meditation. At the command of Nandīśvara, Nandī, beloved of Shankara, intercepted the Aghora missile as it sped through the air. Then, the Supreme Lord revealed his own true form to Śipra, adorned with the crescent moon upon his brow. He showed to the boy a thousand oceans of milk, and likewise oceans of nectar, curds, and clarified butter. There appeared before him also an ocean of fruits, oceans of food and delicacies, and even a mountain of cakes. The Lord manifested together with the goddess, seated upon the sacred bull, surrounded by the lords of the hosts and divine weapons such as the trident. In the heavens, drums resounded, flowers rained down, and the ten directions were filled with the assembled gods—Vishnu, Brahma, Indra, and all their hosts. Overwhelmed by waves of bliss, Upamanyu fell prostrate upon the ground, his mind surrendered in devotion. At that moment, the blessed Lord Bhava, smiling, called to him, “Come, come,” and, smelling his head in blessing, granted him boons. “Eat whatever food you desire, together with your kin, always,” said the Lord. “Be happy, ever free from sorrow, devoted to me. O Upamanyu, greatly fortunate one, this Parvati is your mother; today I have made her my daughter and given you the ocean of milk, and the oceans of honey, curd, clarified butter, rice, fruits, and more. The mountains of sweets, the oceans of food and delicacies—all these I have given to you. Accept them, O great sage.” “Your father is Mahadeva, your mother is Jagadambika. I grant you immortality and eternal leadership of the Ganas. Choose boons with great delight—whatever your heart desires. I am pleased and will grant them; there is no need for deliberation.” Having spoken thus, Mahadeva embraced Upamanyu, smelled his head, and presented him to the goddess, saying, “This is your son.” The goddess, radiant with affectionate joy, placed her lotus hand upon his head and bestowed upon him the everlasting status of Kumara. The ocean of milk itself took form and approached, holding sweet milk in its hand, and gave the boy a lump of imperishable milk. Contented, the Lord granted him yogic power, constant contentment, imperishable knowledge of Brahman, supreme prosperity, and the highest fulfillment. Then, Shambhu, his heart gladdened by the greatness of Upamanyu’s austerity, granted yet another divine boon: he gave him the Pashupata vow, knowledge, and the true practice of vow and yoga, bestowing upon him supreme eloquence and the ability to teach for a long time.