Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

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.

तद्विसृष्टमघोरास्त्रं नंदीश्वरनियोगतः जगृहे मध्यतः क्षिप्तं नन्दी शंकरवल्लभः

By the command of Nandīśvara, Nandī, beloved of Shankara, seized the Aghora missile released and hurled in the midst.

स्वं रूपमेव भगवानास्थाय परमेश्वरः दर्शयामास शिप्राय बालेन्दुकृतशेखरम्

Assuming his own true form, the Supreme Lord revealed himself to Śipra, adorned with the crescent moon as his crest.

क्षीरार्णवसहस्रं च पीयूषार्णवमेव वा दध्यादेरर्णवांश्चैव घृतोदार्णवमेव च

He showed a thousand oceans of milk, and likewise oceans of nectar, oceans of curds, and oceans of clarified butter.

फलार्णवं च बालस्य भक्ष्य भोज्यार्णवं तथा अपूपानां गिरिं चैव दर्शयामास स प्रभुः

He also showed the ocean of fruits for the boy, and likewise oceans of food and eatables, and even a mountain of cakes.

एवं स ददृशे देवो देव्या सार्धं वृषोपरि गणेश्वरैस्त्रिशूलाद्यैर्दिव्यास्त्रैरपि संवृतः

Thus the god appeared, together with the goddess, seated upon the bull, surrounded by the lords of the hosts and divine weapons such as the trident.

दिवि दुंदुभयो नेदुः पुष्पवृष्टिः पपात च विष्णुब्रह्मेन्द्रप्रमुखैर्देवैश्छन्ना दिशो दश

In the heavens, drums resounded, a shower of flowers fell, and the ten directions were filled with the gods led by Vishnu, Brahma, and Indra.

अथोपमन्युरानन्दसमुद्रोर्मिभिरावृतः पपात दण्डवद्भूमौ भक्तिनम्रेण चेतसा

Then Upamanyu, enveloped by waves of bliss, fell prostrate upon the ground, his mind bowed in devotion.

एतस्मिन्समये तत्र सस्मितो भगवान्भवः एह्येहीति तमाहूय मूर्ध्न्याघ्राय ददौ वरान्

At that moment, the blessed Lord Bhava, smiling, called to him, 'Come, come,' and, smelling his head, granted him boons.

भक्ष्यभोज्यान्यथाकामं बान्धवैर्भुक्ष्व सर्वदा सुखी भव सदा दुःखान्निर्मुक्ता भक्तिमान्मम

Eat whatever food you desire, together with your kin, always; be happy, ever free from sorrow, devoted to me.

उपमन्यो महाभाग तवाम्बैषा हि पार्वती मया पुत्रीकृतो ह्यद्य दत्तः क्षीरोदकार्णवः

O Upamanyu, greatly fortunate, this Parvati is your mother; today I have made her my daughter and given you the ocean of milk.