Shloka 61
उपमन्युकुमारस्य क्षीरार्थ-प्रार्थना तथा शिवप्रसाद-निबन्धनम् | Upamanyu’s Longing for Milk and the Doctrine of Shiva’s Grace
क्षीराब्धिमपि साकारं क्षीरस्वादुकरोदधिः । उपास्थाय ददौ तस्मै पिण्डीभूतमनश्वरम्
kṣīrābdhimapi sākāraṃ kṣīrasvādukarodadhiḥ | upāsthāya dadau tasmai piṇḍībhūtamanaśvaram
ക്ഷീരസമുദ്രവും സാകാരമായി പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെട്ടു; മധുര ക്ഷീരസ്വരൂപമായ ആ സമുദ്രം ഭക്തിയോടെ ഉപാസിച്ച്, അവനു ആ ദിവ്യദ്രവ്യത്തിന്റെ പിണ്ഡീഭൂതമായ അനശ്വര അംശം നൽകി।
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Role: nurturing
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
It presents Shiva’s grace as making even cosmic realities (like the Milk Ocean) accessible in concrete form, showing that the infinite can become approachable to the devotee; the “imperishable condensed gift” signifies enduring spiritual merit and divine favor that supports liberation-oriented devotion.
By emphasizing “sākāra” (with form), the verse aligns with Saguna worship—Shiva allows the formless truth to be approached through a manifest support (such as the Linga), where offerings and reverent attendance become a channel for receiving lasting blessings.
The key practice implied is upāsanā—reverent attendance and service (upāsthāya) with offerings; in Shaiva practice this corresponds to Linga-pūjā with steady devotion, accompanied by remembrance of Shiva (japa of the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) to internalize the “imperishable” fruit as spiritual steadiness.