Shloka 29
उपमन्युकुमारस्य क्षीरार्थ-प्रार्थना तथा शिवप्रसाद-निबन्धनम् | Upamanyu’s Longing for Milk and the Doctrine of Shiva’s Grace
उपमन्युरुवाच । त्वयैवं कथितं सर्वं भवनिन्दा रतेन वैः । प्रसंगाद्देवदेवस्य निर्गुणत्वं पिशाचता
upamanyuruvāca | tvayaivaṃ kathitaṃ sarvaṃ bhavanindā ratena vaiḥ | prasaṃgāddevadevasya nirguṇatvaṃ piśācatā
Upamanyu sprach: All dies ist wahrlich von dir gesagt worden, der du daran Gefallen findest, den Herrn zu schmähen. Und durch einen verkehrten Redegang hast du den Gott der Götter als „nirguṇa“ bezeichnet, als wäre dies eine dämonische, piśāca-gleiche Vorstellung.
Upamanyu
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Rudra
FAQs
The verse condemns Shiva-nindā (reviling the Lord) and warns that careless philosophical talk can become spiritually degrading; true knowledge of Śiva must be joined with reverence and purity of intention.
It implies that declaring Śiva “nirguṇa” should not be used to dismiss His worshipful forms; in Shaiva Siddhanta, the transcendent (nirguṇa) and gracious manifest presence (saguṇa—such as the Liṅga) are complementary, not contradictory.
A practical takeaway is to maintain śuddha-vāk (pure speech) and bhakti while repeating Śiva-mantra (e.g., pañcākṣarī—Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and avoiding nindā, which is treated as a serious obstacle to sādhana.