Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 125
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
नास्ति पुत्र पयो5रण्ये सुरभीगोत्रवर्जिते
nāsti putra payo 'raṇye surabhī-gotra-varjite |
Vāsudeva said: “My son, in this forest there is no milk at all, for it is devoid of the lineage of Surabhī, the divine cow—there are no cows here. Therefore, for us sages who dwell among rivers, caves, mountains, and many sacred fords, steadfast in austerity and the recitation of sacred formulas, the supreme refuge is none other than Lord Śaṅkara.”
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Material supports may be absent in austere settings, so one should rely on spiritual refuge—here, devotion to Śaṅkara—while maintaining disciplined practice (tapas and japa).
Vāsudeva addresses a ‘son’ and explains that the forest lacks cows and therefore milk; he then frames the sages’ life of austerity in wild sacred landscapes, emphasizing that their ultimate support is Lord Śaṅkara.