Kṛshṇa's Tapas with Upamanyu (Kūrma Purāṇa)

Bhagavān Kṛshṇa, the avatāra (descent) of Bhagavān Vishṇu, wished to have darśana (sight) of Bhagavān Śiva and to receive worthy sons. The Kūrma Purāṇa tells how he went to the āśrama of the great Śiva-bhakta Upamanyu Muni, took initiation in Pāśupata yoga, and did hard tapas (austerity). Bhagavān Śiva and Devī Pārvatī then appeared before him. After this Kṛshṇa lived for a time at Kailāsa, and then returned to Dvārakā.

Why Kṛshṇa did tapas

In the chapter on the Yādava line, the Kūrma Purāṇa says that Bhagavān Kṛshṇa did ghora tapas (fierce tapas) to gain worthy sons. He did this though he is himself the master of tapas and the maker of the world. He knew Rudra as the root cause of his own ātman (self), and he did the tapas in Rudra’s honour. (Kūrma Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapter 25)

The journey to Upamanyu’s āśrama

Kṛshṇa rode on the bright Garuḍa. He carried the śaṅkha (conch), the cakra (discus) and the gadā (mace), and he bore the Śrīvatsa mark. He went to the āśrama of the great muni Upamanyu. The place was full of yogīs, and many birds sang there. It had pools of clear water, the āśramas of ṛshis, gardens and deva-mandiras (temples of the devas).

All the munis in that āśrama were worshippers of Śiva. Their bodies were covered with bhasma (sacred ash), their hair was matted, and they wore garments of bark. They always repeated the japa of Rudra and were deep in dhyāna (meditation).

The ṛshis of the āśrama saw Kṛshṇa coming. They knew him as the Ādi-deva, the unseen one, the Paramapurusha Nārāyaṇa himself. They praised him with Vedic mantras and gave him the seat of honour as the first guest of yogīs. They said: “O Bhagavān Kṛshṇa, you are beyond the reach of the senses. We know you as Vishṇu himself. O master of the senses, welcome. Our tapas has borne fruit today.” (Kūrma Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapter 25)

Kṛshṇa before Upamanyu Muni

The great Upamanyu met Kṛshṇa and asked: “O Mahāpurusha, why have you come here?”

Kṛshṇa bowed with respect to the pure muni and said: “O Mahātmā, I wish to have darśana of Śiva, the wearer of the hide, Girīśa. I have come to you with this strong wish. How is Bhagavān Śiva to be seen? Where can I soon see Umāpati?”

Upamanyu answered: “Parameśvara is seen only through bhakti (devotion) or through hard tapas, and in no other way. So keep your discipline and your vow, and do tapas here. In this āśrama the brahmarshis always meditate on Deva-deva Īśvara and honour him. Yogīs and munis also honour him here. Vrishabhadhvaja Śiva plays in this very place with Pārvatī and the Bhūta-gaṇas.” (Kūrma Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapter 25)

Upamanyu then told the holy history of the āśrama:

Here Vasishṭha did ghora tapas and received the knowledge of yoga from Maheśvara.
Here Kṛshṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa himself saw Parameśvara and gained knowledge of Īśvara.
Here many tapasvis (ascetics) received sons from Rudra.
Here Sāvarṇi made his great saṃhitā (collection) after he gained yoga-siddhi (success in yoga) from Mahādeva.
Here Śāṃśapāyana made the twelve-thousand-verse Purāṇa-saṃhitā at Śiva’s command.
Here Yājñavalkya made the yoga-śāstra after seeing Śiva.
Here Bhṛgu received a son of great yogic power by Śiva’s grace. (Kūrma Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapter 25)

Upamanyu initiates Kṛshṇa

Upamanyu Muni gave Kṛshṇa three things:

Jñāna: the knowledge of the truth of Śiva
Niyama: the rules of discipline for those who worship Śiva
Pāśupata yoga: the highest yoga of Śiva’s devotees

(Kūrma Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapter 25)

Kṛshṇa’s tapas

Kṛshṇa did as the great muni told him and did tapas right there. He rubbed bhasma on all his limbs, shaved his head, and wore garments of bark. He fixed his mind wholly on Śiva and kept reciting Śiva’s name. He also honoured Śiva’s liṅgas at the various tīrthas along the rivers he passed, with flowers and homage. (Kūrma Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapter 25)

Kṛshṇa’s stotra to Śiva

After many days of tapas, Kṛshṇa spoke a long stotra (hymn of praise) to Śiva in the Pāśupata way. He called him:

Śāśvata (the eternal) and the form of all yoga
Brahmā and Vishṇu, the maker and the ender of the world
The one who dwells in the circle of the sun
The form of prāṇa (life breath), the one without a second, who appears as Agni, Indra and all the rest
The unmanifest of the Sāṅkhyas, the one form of the yogīs, the Rudra of the Vedas
Nīlakaṇṭha, the three-eyed, Mahādeva, Īśāna, the bearer of the Pināka bow
The terrible one, the destroyer of Manmatha (Kāma), the one who conquered Yama
The master of the Bhairava-gaṇas, the one who takes the form of the liṅga, the father of Kumāra
The master of yajña, the one firm in brahmacarya (self-control), the one who took the form of a Kirāta (forest hunter)
Jyotih-prabhu, the master of lights

He asked Śiva again and again: “O Parameśvara, give me all the varas (boons) I wish for.” (Kūrma Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapter 25)

Śiva appears and Kṛshṇa asks for a vara

After long tapas, Bhagavān Śiva appeared to Kṛshṇa through the sky, wearing the crescent moon and with Devī beside him. Kṛshṇa saw him:

With a crown, a mace in his hand, and a divine garland
Bearing the Pināka bow and the trident
Covered with a tiger skin, his body smeared with ash
Three-eyed, Nīlalohita, with the sound of OM
Shining like a thousand suns
With Pārvatī at his side
Surrounded by the Gaṇeśvaras, Nandīśvara, Kumāra, and Gaṇeśas bright as fire
Attended by Marīci, Atri, Pulaha, Pulastya, Pracetas, Daksha, Kaṇva, Parāśara, Vasishṭha, Svāyambhuva Manu, the Sapta-ṛshis, and Brahmā on his swan

On Śiva’s left Kṛshṇa saw a form that held the conch, the discus and a sword. It was the first form, his own form as Vishṇu. So he saw for himself that Śiva and Vishṇu are not different. (Kūrma Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapter 25)

Kṛshṇa bowed to Pārvatī and Parameśvara, lying flat on the ground. Śiva said: “O Kṛshṇa, why did you do tapas? You yourself give varas and the fruit of karma (action) to all. You are Nārāyaṇa, my best form of another kind. Without you this world cannot go on. O Keśava, know yourself as Ananta, as Parameśvara. By your own yoga know me as Mahādeva, as Mahāyogī.”

Kṛshṇa smiled, looked at Pārvatī and Viśveśvara, and said: “O Śaṅkara, by your own yoga you know everything. I ask for a son equal to me who is also your bhakta. Give me this vara.”

Śiva, who is the self of all, said “So be it” with a glad heart. He took Kṛshṇa by the hand and went with Pārvatī to Kailāsa. (Kūrma Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapter 25)

Pārvatī’s words

Pārvatī, Śiva’s other half and the daughter of Himavān, then spoke to Kṛshṇa: “O Acyuta Keśava, I know your firm devotion, with no other aim, to Īśvara and to me. You are Nārāyaṇa himself, Purushottama, the self of all. Take from me the varas you wish for: knowledge of all things, lordship, knowledge of Parameśvara, firm bhakti to Īśvara, and the highest śakti (power) in yourself.” Kṛshṇa took her words with respect. (Kūrma Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapter 25)

Kṛshṇa at Kailāsa

Kṛshṇa lived at Kailāsa in the bright home of Śiva for a long time. Gandharvīs, apsarasas, siddhas, yakshas, gandharvas, vidyādharas, kinnaras and all the hosts of devas saw Kṛshṇa there. He had four arms and was dark as a rain-cloud. He bore the Śārṅga bow and the Śrīvatsa mark, and he was young and bright. They honoured him together with Deva-deva Śaṅkara. (Kūrma Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapters 25–26)

At Dvārakā, word went round that Kṛshṇa had been away too long, and Garuḍa was sent to look for him. Garuḍa found Kṛshṇa at Kailāsa, seated near Deva-deva Śiva, and went back to Dvārakā. The muni Nārada also went to Kailāsa, saw Kṛshṇa, and then went to Dvārakā to tell the news. At last Garuḍa came again to Kailāsa. Kṛshṇa bowed to Nīlalohita Śaṅkara, took his leave, and rode Garuḍa back to Dvārakā, where his people welcomed him with great joy. (Kūrma Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapters 25–26)

What Chapter 34 says

Later, in Chapter 34, Veda-vyāsa is telling the Pāśupatas at Madhyameśvara in Kāśī about Kṛshṇa’s stay. He says that Kṛshṇa, a part of Nārāyaṇa, lived for one year at Madhyameśvara. He kept the Pāśupata vow and rubbed himself with ash, and Nīlalohita Mahādeva appeared to him there.

Śiva’s vara for those who honour Govinda was this: “Those who honour Govinda by the śāstra will gain true knowledge of Īśvara. O Kṛshṇa, by my grace my bhaktas will honour you and meditate on you as I am meditated on.” (Kūrma Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapter 34)

Sources

Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapter 25 (Kṛshṇa’s tapas, Upamanyu’s initiation, the stotra, Śiva’s darśana)
Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapters 25–26 (Kṛshṇa at Kailāsa and his return to Dvārakā)
Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapter 34 (Veda-vyāsa on Kṛshṇa’s stay at Madhyameśvara)

Kṛshṇa’s Tapas with Upamanyu