Shloka 37

Upamanyu’s Tapas, Shiva’s Indra-Form Test, and the Bestowal of Kshiroda and Gaṇapatya

Devanagari script

ततः शक्रस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा श्रोत्रविदारणम् उपमन्युरिदं प्राह जपन् पञ्चाक्षरं शुभम्

Transliteration

tataḥ śakrasya vacanaṃ śrutvā śrotravidāraṇam upamanyuridaṃ prāha japan pañcākṣaraṃ śubham

Translation

其后，优波摩纽听到释迦罗那刺耳裂听之言，便一边恒常诵持吉祥五字真言，一边答道——心安住于湿婆、能断缚魂之绳索（pāśa）的主宰（Pati），令被缚之灵（paśu）得解脱。

Word by Word

• ततः: then

• शक्रस्य: of Śakra (Indra)

• वचनं: speech/words

• श्रुत्वा: having heard

• श्रोत्र-विदारणम्: ear-rending, piercing to the ears

• उपमन्युः: Upamanyu

• इदं: this

• प्राह: said/spoke

• जपन्: repeating (in japa)

• पञ्च-अक्षरम्: the five-syllabled (mantra, i.e., namaḥ śivāya)

• शुभम्: auspicious, beneficent

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the episode; Upamanyu is the immediate speaker within the story)

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Shakra)
• Upamanyu
• Shiva

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

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.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

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).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Pañcākṣarī japa (mantra repetition) as a disciplined practice aligned with Pāśupata-oriented inner worship—using sound (mantra) to purify mind and overcome agitation.