Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

भगवन्ब्राह्मणः कश्चिदुपमन्युरिति श्रुतः क्षीरार्थमदहत्सर्वं तपसा तन्निवारय

O Lord, there is a certain brahmin known as Upamanyu, who, seeking milk, has given up everything for austerity; restrain him from this by your power.

इति श्रुत्वा वचो विष्णोः प्राह देवो महेश्वरः शिशुं निवारयिष्यामि तत्त्वं गच्छ स्वमाश्रमम्

Hearing these words of Viṣṇu, the god Maheśvara replied: 'I will restrain the boy; you return to your own hermitage.'

तच्छ्रुत्वा शंभुवचनं स विष्णुर्देववल्लभः जगामाश्वास्य तान्सर्वान्स्वलोकममरादिकान्

Hearing Śambhu’s words, Viṣṇu, beloved of the gods, comforted all those immortals and returned to his own world.

एतस्मिन्नंतरे देवः पिनाकी परमेश्वरः शक्रस्य रूपमास्थाय गन्तुं चक्रे मतिं ततः

Meanwhile, the god Pinākī, Supreme Lord, assuming the form of Indra, resolved in his mind to go there.

अथ जगाम मुनेस्तु तपोवनं गजवरेण सितेन सदाशिवः सह सुरासुरसिद्धमहोरगैरमरराजतनुं स्वयमास्थितः

Then Sadāśiva, together with the gods, asuras, siddhas, and great serpents, himself taking on the form of the king of the immortals, went to the sage’s forest of austerity, riding on a splendid white elephant.

स वारणश्चारु तदा विभुं तं निवीज्य वालव्यजनेन दिव्यम् दधार शच्या सहितं सुरेंद्रं करेण वामेन शितातपत्रम्

That beautiful elephant then fanned the mighty lord with a divine yak-tail fan, while Indra, together with Śacī, held a shining white parasol in his left hand.

रराज भगवान्सोमः शक्ररूपी सदाशिवः तेनातपत्रेण यथा चन्द्रबिंबेन मन्दरः

The blessed Soma, Sadāśiva in the form of Indra, shone resplendent with that parasol, just as Mount Mandara shines with the orb of the moon.

आस्थायैवं हि शक्रस्य स्वरूपं परमेश्वरः जगामानुग्रहं कर्तुमुपमन्योस्तदाश्रमम्

Thus assuming the very form of Indra, the Supreme Lord went to Upamanyu’s hermitage to bestow his grace.

तं दृष्ट्वा परमेशानं शक्ररूपधरं शिवम् प्रणम्य शिरसा प्राह महामुनिवरः स्वयम्

Seeing the Supreme Lord, Śiva, in the form of Indra, the great sage himself bowed his head and spoke.

पावितश्चाश्रमस्सो ऽयं मम देवेश्वर स्वयम् प्राप्तो यत्त्वं जगन्नाथ भगवन्देवसत्तम

O Lord of the gods, my hermitage is purified by your very presence; that you, O Lord of the universe, best among gods, have come here yourself.

एवमुक्त्वा स्थितं प्रेक्ष्य कृतांजलिपुटं द्विजम् प्राह गंभीरया वाचा शक्ररूपधरो हरः

Having spoken thus, and seeing the brahmin standing with hands joined in reverence, Hara, bearing the form of Indra, addressed him in a deep voice.

तुष्टो ऽस्मि ते वरं ब्रूहि तपसानेन सुव्रत ददामि चेप्सितान्सर्वान्धौम्याग्रज महामुने

I am pleased with you; ask for a boon, O steadfast one, by this austerity. O great sage, elder brother of Dhaumya, I will grant you all your desires.

एवमुक्तस्तदा तेन शक्रेण मुनिपुंगवः वारयामि शिवे भक्तिमित्युवाच कृताञ्जलिः

Thus addressed by that Indra, the foremost of sages, with hands joined, replied: 'I ask for devotion to Śiva.'

त्रैलोक्याधिपतिं शक्रं सर्वदेवनमस्कृतम्

Indra, lord of the three worlds, honored by all the gods—

मद्भक्तो भव विप्रर्षे मामेवार्चय सर्वदा ददामि सर्वं भद्रं ते त्यज रुद्रं च निर्गुणम्

Become my devotee, O best of sages; always worship me alone. I will grant you every blessing; abandon Rudra, the formless one.

रुद्रेण निर्गुणेनापि किं ते कार्यं भविष्यति देवपङ्क्तिबहिर्भूतो यः पिशाचत्वमागतः

What purpose will Rudra, the formless one, serve for you? He, cast out from the ranks of the gods, has become like a demon.

तच्छ्रुत्वा प्राह स मुनिर्जपन्पञ्चाक्षरं मनुम् मन्यमानो धर्मविघ्नं प्राह तं कर्तुमागतम्

Hearing this, the sage, reciting the five-syllable mantra, thought this to be an obstacle to righteousness, and said so to him.

त्वयैवं कथितं सर्वं भवनिंदारतेन वै प्रसंगादेव देवस्य निर्गुणत्वं महात्मनः

All this has been spoken by you, out of a tendency to disparage Bhava, and thus, incidentally, you have described the supreme god as without attributes.

त्वं न जानामि वै रुद्रं सर्वदेवेश्वरेश्वरम् ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशानां जनक प्रकृतेः परम्

I do not truly know Rudra, the Lord of all gods and lords, the father of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesha, who is beyond Prakriti.

सदसद्व्यक्तमव्यक्तं यमाहुर्ब्रह्मवादिनः नित्यमेकमनेकं च वरं तस्माद्वृणोम्यहम्

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.

हेतुवादविनिर्मुक्तं सांख्ययोगार्थदम्परम् उपासते यं तत्त्वज्ञा वरं तस्माद्वृणोम्यहम्

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.

नास्ति शंभोः परं तत्त्वं सर्वकारणकारणात् ब्रह्मविष्ण्वादिदेवानां स्रष्टुर्गुणपराद्विभोः

There is no higher reality than Shambhu, the cause of all causes, the creator of Brahma, Vishnu, and other gods, who transcends all qualities.

बहुनात्र किमुक्तेन मयाद्यानुमितं महत् भवांतरे कृतं पापं श्रुता निन्दा भवस्य चेत्

What more need be said? Now I have inferred the great truth: if in another birth I have committed the sin of hearing slander of Bhava—

श्रुत्वा निंदां भवस्याथ तत्क्षणादेव सन्त्यजेत् स्वदेहं तन्निहत्याशु शिवलोकं स गच्छति

—then, having heard slander of Bhava, one should immediately abandon one's own body; by doing so, one quickly attains the world of Shiva.

आस्तां तावन्ममेच्छेयं क्षीरं प्रति सुराधम निहत्य त्वां शिवास्त्रेण त्यजाम्येतं कलेवरम्

Let my desire for milk be set aside, O lowest of gods; by slaying you with Shiva's weapon, I shall abandon this body.

एवमुक्त्वोपमन्युस्तं मर्तुं व्यवसितस्स्वयम् क्षीरे वाञ्छामपि त्यक्त्वा निहन्तुं शक्रमुद्यतः

Having spoken thus, Upamanyu resolved to die himself, giving up even his wish for milk, and prepared to slay Indra.

भस्मादाय तदा घोरमघोरास्त्राभिमंत्रितम् विसृज्य शक्रमुद्दिश्य ननाद स मुनिस्तदा

Then, taking fearsome ashes empowered with the Aghora missile, he cast them at Indra and roared, that sage.

स्मृत्वा शंभुपदद्वंद्वं स्वदेहं दुग्धुमुद्यतः आग्नेयीं धारणां बिभ्रदुपमन्युरवस्थितः

Remembering the twin feet of Shambhu, Upamanyu prepared to dissolve his own body, maintaining the fiery concentration.

एवं व्यवसिते विप्रे भगवान्भगनेत्रहा वारयामास सौम्येन धारणां तस्य योगिनः

As the brahmin was thus resolved, the Lord, destroyer of Bhaga's eye, gently restrained his yogic concentration.