Upamanyu’s Tapas, Shiva’s Indra-Form Test, and the Bestowal of Kshiroda and Gaṇapatya
दुःखिता सा तदा प्राह सम्प्रेक्ष्याघ्राय मूर्धनि संमार्ज्य नेत्रे पुत्रस्य कराभ्यां कमलायते
duḥkhitā sā tadā prāha samprekṣyāghrāya mūrdhani saṃmārjya netre putrasya karābhyāṃ kamalāyate
Da sprach sie, vom Schmerz getroffen: Sie blickte ihn eindringlich an, roch an seinem Scheitel und wischte mit beiden Händen die Augen ihres Sohnes, sodass sie sich wie Lotosblüten öffneten.
Suta (narrating the episode to the sages; the verse depicts the mother’s action as she begins to speak)
It frames intense human sorrow and tenderness as a purifying threshold—when the heart softens, the pashu becomes receptive to dharma and Shiva-bhakti, which later matures into Linga-centered worship.
Indirectly, it highlights the condition of the bound soul (pashu) under duḥkha and attachment; Shiva-tattva stands as the compassionate Pati who becomes the refuge when worldly supports tremble.
No explicit puja-vidhi appears; the practical takeaway is inner discipline—transforming grief into viveka and vairagya, which supports Pashupata-oriented remembrance and surrender to Shiva.