Shloka 72
Śrāddha-Kalpa: Pitṛ-Pūjā and Tithi-Phala (श्राद्धकल्पः पितृपूजा च तिथिफलम्)
इत्युक्त्वा चोर्ध्वमनयद् रेतो वृषभवाहन: । ऊर्ध्वरेता: समभवत् तत: प्रभूति चापि सः
ity uktvā cordhvam anayad reto vṛṣabhavāhanaḥ | ūrdhvaretāḥ samabhavat tataḥ prabhūti cāpi saḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: Having spoken thus to the gods, the Bull-bannered Lord (Śaṅkara) drew his generative energy upward. From that time onward he became renowned as Ūrdhvaretā—one whose vital seed is held and sublimated—signifying mastery over desire and the transformation of potency into ascetic power.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined mastery over sensual impulse: divine power is shown not as indulgence but as restraint and sublimation—transforming generative force into tapas (spiritual heat/ascetic potency), a model of ethical self-governance.
After addressing the gods, Śiva (the bull-rider) draws his retas upward, becoming known as Ūrdhvaretā. The narration explains the origin and significance of this epithet, emphasizing his ascetic control.