Upamanyu’s Tapas, Shiva’s Indra-Form Test, and the Bestowal of Kshiroda and Gaṇapatya
ततः शक्रस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा श्रोत्रविदारणम् उपमन्युरिदं प्राह जपन् पञ्चाक्षरं शुभम्
tataḥ śakrasya vacanaṃ śrutvā śrotravidāraṇam upamanyuridaṃ prāha japan pañcākṣaraṃ śubham
ครั้นได้ยินวาจาของศักระอันบาดหูแล้ว อุปมันยุจึงกล่าวตอบ ขณะสาธยายมนต์ปัญจักษระอันเป็นมงคล
Suta Goswami (narrating the episode; Upamanyu is the immediate speaker within the story)
It highlights mantra-japa—specifically the auspicious Pañcākṣarī—as an inner form of Linga worship, where devotion and recollection of Śiva become the core offering.
By centering Upamanyu’s response on the Pañcākṣarī, the verse implies Śiva as Pati: the supreme Lord whose mantra-consciousness steadies the paśu and leads beyond pāśa (bondage).
Pañcākṣarī japa (mantra repetition) as a disciplined practice aligned with Pāśupata-oriented inner worship—using sound (mantra) to purify mind and overcome agitation.