Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 4

उपमन्युतपः-निवारणप्रसङ्गः / Śiva restrains Upamanyu’s tapas (Śiva disguised as Indra)

Devanagari script

विष्णुरुवाच । भगवन्ब्राह्मणः कश्चिदुपमन्युरिति श्रुतः । क्षीरार्थमदहत्सर्वं तपसा तन्निवारय

Transliteration

viṣṇuruvāca | bhagavanbrāhmaṇaḥ kaścidupamanyuriti śrutaḥ | kṣīrārthamadahatsarvaṃ tapasā tannivāraya

Translation

Viṣṇu sprach: „O erhabener Herr, man hört von einem Brahmanen namens Upamanyu, der aus Verlangen nach Milch durch die Macht seiner Tapas alles verbrannte. Zügle dieses Feuer der Askese durch deine Gnade.“

Word by Word

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• भगवन्: O Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणः: a brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कश्चित्: a certain
• कश्चित्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite pronoun)

• उपमन्युः: Upamanyu
• उपमन्युः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपमन्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• इति: thus
• इति: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-निर्देशक (quotative)

• श्रुतः: is known (as)/is heard
• श्रुतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘श्रुतः’ = ‘is heard/known’

• क्षीरार्थम्: for (obtaining) milk
• क्षीरार्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षीर + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (क्षीरस्य अर्थे/क्षीरार्थम्); क्रियाविशेषण (purpose: ‘for milk’)

• अदहत्: burned
• अदहत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दह् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मपद

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (करण/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; करण (instrumental: ‘by austerity’)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘निवारय’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• निवारय: stop/prevent (it)
• निवारय: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + √वृ (धातु) / √वारय् (णिजन्त)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; causative sense ‘cause to stop’

Speaker

Vishnu

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Upamanyu

FAQs

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

It highlights that tapas (ascetic power) can become destructive if driven by desire; in Shaiva Siddhanta, only Pati (Shiva) rightly governs all energies, so spiritual power must be restrained and sanctified by divine grace and right intention.

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

By seeking restraint from the Lord, the verse points to Saguna Shiva as the compassionate regulator of cosmic forces; Linga-worship embodies surrender to Shiva’s lordship, through which intense energies like tapas are redirected toward purification and liberation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is disciplined devotion that cools and steadies inner “heat”: japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with humility, along with Shaiva purificatory observances such as Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and restrained vrata, rather than desire-driven austerity.