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?”
婆苏提婆说道：“亲爱的，正因如此，那粗粝如糜的滋味并不合我心意。于是我以孩童的天真对母亲说：‘母亲，你给我的这并非乳饭。’这时，我母亲被忧苦与悲恸所压倒，便对我开口。她因慈母之爱将我拥入怀中，又嗅我头顶的气息，说道：‘孩子啊，那些常住林野、以块茎、根与果实维生的牟尼圣者，怎能得到乳饭呢？’”
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.