Shloka 45

उपमन्युकुमारस्य क्षीरार्थ-प्रार्थना तथा शिवप्रसाद-निबन्धनम् | Upamanyu’s Longing for Milk and the Doctrine of Shiva’s Grace

Devanagari script

क्षीरार्णवसहस्र्ं च दध्यादेवरर्णवन्तथा । भक्ष्यभोज्यार्णवन्तस्मै दर्शयामास स प्रभुः

Transliteration

kṣīrārṇavasahasrṃ ca dadhyādevararṇavantathā | bhakṣyabhojyārṇavantasmai darśayāmāsa sa prabhuḥ

Translation

Daraufhin zeigte ihm der höchste Herr unzählige Ozeane aus Milch; ebenso einen vortrefflichen Ozean aus Dadhi (geronnener Milch) und anderen Köstlichkeiten; und er offenbarte ihm auch einen Ozean von Speisen zum Essen und Mahlzeiten zum Genießen.

Word by Word

• क्षीर-अर्णव-सहस्रम्: a thousand oceans of milk
• क्षीर-अर्णव-सहस्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (क्षीरस्य अर्णवः) + ‘सहस्र’ (समूह/परिमाण)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• दधि-आदि-अर्णवान्: oceans of curd and the like
• दधि-आदि-अर्णवान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (पाठानुसार ‘अर्णवान्’); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दध्यादयः अर्णवाः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• भक्ष्य-भोज्य-अर्णवान्: oceans of eatables and foods
• भक्ष्य-भोज्य-अर्णवान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भोज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (भक्ष्यं च भोज्यं च) + तत्पुरुष-सम्बन्धः (भक्ष्यभोज्यानाम् अर्णवाः)

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• दर्शयामास: showed
• दर्शयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धातु √दृश् causative √दर्शय्
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रभुः: the Lord
• प्रभुः: Karta (कर्ता; apposition to सः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahadeva

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It portrays Shiva’s sovereign power to manifest limitless plenitude, teaching that all enjoyments and resources arise by the Lord’s grace; for the devotee, such visions point beyond sense-pleasure toward recognition of Pati (Shiva) as the ultimate source.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

As Saguna Shiva, the compassionate Lord reveals tangible, perceivable forms of abundance; similarly, in Linga-worship the devotee approaches the formless Supreme through a sacred, accessible symbol and receives grace in a form suited to devotion.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse supports the practice of naivedya (food offering) to Shiva with the attitude that all nourishment belongs to Him; it can be paired with japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) while offering and mentally surrendering enjoyment to the Lord.