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
بحرِ شیر بھی مجسم ہو کر ظاہر ہوا؛ وہ میٹھے دودھ کی ماہیت والا سمندر عقیدت سے خدمت میں حاضر ہو کر اسے اس الٰہی مادّے کا گٹھا ہوا، لازوال حصہ عطا کر گیا۔
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.