Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

ततः प्रसन्नचेतस्कः सुप्रणम्य कृतांजलिः ययाचे स वरं विप्रो देवदेवान्महेश्वरात्

Then, with a pleased mind, bowing deeply with joined palms, the Brahmin requested a boon from the great Lord of gods.

प्रसीद देवदेवेश प्रसीद परमेश्वर स्वभक्तिन्देहि परमान्दिव्यामव्यभिचारिणीम्

Be gracious, Lord of gods, be gracious, Supreme Lord; grant me supreme, divine, unwavering devotion.

श्रद्धान्देहि महादेव द्वसम्बन्धिषु मे सदा स्वदास्यं परमं स्नेहं सान्निध्यं चैव सर्वदा

Grant me faith, O Mahadeva, always in those connected to you; let me have supreme service, affection, and constant nearness.

एवमुक्त्वा प्रसन्नात्माहर्षगद्गदया गिरा सतुष्टाव महादेवमुपमन्युर्द्विजोत्तमः

Having spoken thus, with a heart filled with joy and a voice choked with emotion, the best of twice-born, Upamanyu, praised the great god.

देवदेव महादेव शरणागतवत्सल प्रसीद करुणासिंधो साम्ब शंकर सर्वदा

O God of gods, great Lord, lover of those who seek refuge, be gracious, O ocean of compassion, O Śaṃkara with Ambā, always.

एवमुक्तो महादेवः सर्वेषां च वरप्रदः प्रत्युवाच प्रसन्नात्मोपमन्युं मुनिसत्तमम्

Thus addressed, the great god, bestower of boons to all, replied with a pleased heart to Upamanyu, the foremost sage.

वत्सोपमन्यो तुष्टो ऽस्मि सर्वं दत्तं मया हि ते दृढभक्तो ऽसि विप्रर्षे मया विज्ञासितो ह्यसि

Child Upamanyu, I am pleased; everything has truly been given to you by me. You are steadfast in devotion, O best of seers, and have been tested by me.

अजरश्चामरश्चैव भव त्वन्दुःखवर्जितः यशस्वी तेजसा युक्तो दिव्यज्ञानसमन्वितः

Become ageless and immortal, free from suffering; may you be renowned, endowed with brilliance, and possessed of divine knowledge.

अक्षया बान्धवाश्चैव कुलं गोत्रं च ते सदा भविष्यति द्विजश्रेष्ठ मयि भक्तिश्च शाश्वती

Your relatives, lineage, and family shall always be imperishable, O best of twice-born; and your devotion to me shall be eternal.

सान्निध्यं चाश्रमे नित्यं करिष्यामि द्विजोत्तम उपकंठं मम त्वं वै सानन्दं विहरिष्यसि

I shall always grant my presence in your hermitage, O best of Brāhmaṇas; you will dwell near me, rejoicing.

एवमुक्त्वा स भगवान्सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभः ईशानस्स वरान्दत्त्वा तत्रैवान्तर्दधे हरः

Having spoken thus, the blessed Lord, radiant as a crore of suns, granted the boons and then vanished there itself.

उपमन्युः प्रसन्नात्मा प्राप्य तस्माद्वराद्वरान् जगाम जननीस्थानं सुखं प्रापाधिकं च सः

Upamanyu, his heart at peace, having received those supreme boons, went to his mother's abode and attained even greater happiness.

नमस्समस्तसंसारचक्रभ्रमणहेतवे गौरीकुचतटद्वन्द्वकुंकुमांकितवक्षसे

Salutations to the cause of the ceaseless turning of the wheel of worldly existence, whose chest is marked with the saffron from the twin slopes of Gaurī's breasts.

उक्त्वा भगवतो लब्धप्रसादादुपमन्युना नियमादुत्थितो वायुर्मध्ये प्राप्ते दिवाकरे

Having spoken thus, and by the grace of the Blessed Lord, Upamanyu, after completing his observance, rose when the sun was at its zenith.

ऋषयश्चापि ते सर्वे नैमिषारण्यवासिनः अथायमर्थः प्रष्टव्य इति कृत्वा विनिश्चयम्

And all those seers dwelling in Naimiṣāraṇya, having resolved that this matter should be inquired about, made up their minds.

कृत्वा यथा स्वकं कृत्यं प्रत्यहं ते यथा पुरा भगवंतमुपायांतं समीक्ष्य समुपाविशन्

Having performed their daily duties as before, they saw the Blessed One approaching and respectfully sat down.

अथासौ नियमस्यांते भगवानम्बरोद्भवः मध्ये मुनिसभायास्तु भेजे कॢप्तं वरासनम्

Then, at the end of his observance, the Blessed One, born of the wind, took the prepared excellent seat in the midst of the assembly of sages.

सुखासनोपविष्टश्च वायुर्लोकनमस्कृतः श्रीमद्विभूतिमीशस्य हृदि कृत्वेदमब्रवीत्

Seated comfortably, Vāyu, honored by the worlds, fixed the glorious power of the Lord in his heart and spoke these words.

तं प्रपद्ये महादेवं सर्वज्ञमपराजितम् विभूतिस्सकलं यस्य चराचरमिदं जगत्

I take refuge in that great god, all-knowing and unconquered, whose entire power is this moving and unmoving universe.

इत्याकर्ण्य शुभां वाणीमृषयः क्षीणकल्मषाः विभूतिविस्तरं श्रोतुमूचुस्ते परमं वचः

Hearing that auspicious speech, the sages, their faults exhausted, spoke these supreme words, wishing to hear the full extent of his power.

उक्तं भगवता वृत्तमुपमन्योर्महात्मनः क्षीरार्थेनापि तपसा यत्प्राप्तं परमेश्वरात्

The Blessed One has told of the deeds of the great-souled Upamanyu, and of the milk obtained through austerity from the Supreme Lord.

दृष्टो ऽसौ वासुदेवेन कृष्णेनाक्लिष्टकर्मणा धौम्याग्रजस्ततस्तेन कृत्वा पाशुपतं व्रतम्

He was seen by Vāsudeva, by Kṛṣṇa whose actions are untainted, and then, following Dhaumya the foremost, he undertook the Pāśupata vow.

प्राप्तं च परमं ज्ञानमिति प्रागेव शुश्रुम कथं स लब्धवान् कृष्णो ज्ञानं पाशुपतं परम्

And we have already heard that he attained the supreme knowledge; how did Kṛṣṇa obtain the highest Pāśupata knowledge?

स्वेच्छया ह्यवतीर्णोपि वासुदेवस्सनातनः निंदयन्निव मानुष्यं देहशुद्धिं चकार सः

Vāsudeva, the eternal one, descended by his own will, as if scorning human existence, and performed purification of the body.

पुत्रार्थं हि तपस्तप्तुं गतस्तस्य महामुनेः आश्रमं मुनिभिर्दृष्टं दृष्टवांस्तत्र वै मुनिम्

He went to the great sage's hermitage to perform austerity for the sake of a son; seen by the sages, he saw the sage there.

भस्मावदातसर्वांगं त्रिपुंड्रांकितमस्तकम् रुद्राक्षमालाभरणं जटामंडलमंडितम्

His whole body was smeared with ash, his head marked with three lines, adorned with a garland of rudrākṣa beads, and crowned with matted locks.

तच्छिष्यभूतैर्मुनिभिश्शास्त्रैर्वेदमिवावृतम् शिवध्यानरतं शांतमुपमन्युं महाद्युतिम्

Surrounded by his disciple-sages, as the Veda is surrounded by scriptures, Upamanyu, radiant and tranquil, was absorbed in meditation on Śiva.

नमश्चकार तं दृष्ट्वा हृष्टसर्वतनूरुहः बहुमानेन कृष्णो ऽसौ त्रिः कृत्वा तु प्रदक्षिणाम् स्तुतिं चकार सुप्रीत्या नतस्कंधः कृताञ्जलिः

Seeing him, Kṛṣṇa, with all his hairs standing in delight, bowed, circumambulated him three times with great respect, and offered praise with joy, his shoulders bent, hands joined.

तस्यावलोकनादेव मुनेः कृष्णस्य धीमतः नष्टमासीन्मलं सर्वं मायाजं कार्ममेव च

By merely seeing that sage, all impurity and karmic illusion in wise Kṛṣṇa was destroyed.