Shloka 121
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
तात! इसीलिये वह आटेका रस मुझे प्रिय नहीं लगा; अतः मैंने बालस्वभाववश ही अपनी मातासे कहा-- ।।
tāta! isīliye sa āṭekā rasa mama priyaḥ na lāga; ataḥ mayā bālasvabhāvavaśāt eva svamātāyai uktam—
na idaṃ kṣīrodanaṃ mātari yat tvaṃ me dattavatī asi |
tato mām abravīn mātā duḥkhaśokasamanvitā,
vane nivasatāṃ nityaṃ kandamūlaphalāśinām |
“mā! tvaṃ me yad dattavatī, etat kṣīrodanaṃ na.”
(mādhava!) tataḥ sā mātā duḥkhaśokanimagnā putrasnehāt mām hṛdayena āliṅgya mama mastakaṃ ghrātvā mām abravīt—
“vane nityaṃ nivasantaḥ kandamūla-phalāhārāḥ śuddhāntaraṅgā munayaḥ; teṣāṃ kṣīrodanaṃ kutaḥ syāt?”
ヴァースデーヴァは語った。「いとしい者よ、だからこそ、あの粗い粥の味はわたしの心にかなわなかった。そこで幼子の無垢のままに、母にこう言ったのだ。『母上、母上がくださったこれは乳飯ではありません。』すると母は、悲しみと憂いに沈みつつも、わたしに語りかけた。母の情によりわたしを抱きしめ、頭頂の香りを嗅いで言った。『わが子よ、常に森に住み、塊茎や根や果実で身を支える牟尼の聖者たちに、どうして乳飯など得られようか。』」
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights contentment and ethical realism: those who live by austere forest-dharma (subsisting on roots and fruits) cannot be judged by standards of luxury. It also underscores compassion—understanding the limits and circumstances of others rather than demanding what is unavailable.
Vāsudeva recalls a childhood moment when he complained to his mother that what he received was not milk-rice. His mother, grieving yet affectionate, explains that forest-dwelling sages who live on simple foods cannot possibly procure milk-rice, gently correcting his childish expectation.