Sureśvara Avatāra

In the Sureśvara Avatāra, Bhagavān Śiva came down in the form of Indra (Sureśvara, the chief of the devas) to test the devotion of the young Upamanyu, son of Vyāghrapāda. Upamanyu had done hard tapas (austerity) in the Himālayas, living on air alone. The false Indra offered him varas (boons) and then tried to turn him away from Śiva with arguments and insults. Upamanyu would not turn. Bhagavān Śiva showed his true form, took Upamanyu as his eternal son and gave him an ocean of milk that never runs dry, the Pāśupata vrata and eternal Brahmavidyā.

Upamanyu’s poverty and his mother’s words

Upamanyu, son of Vyāghrapāda, had been a great siddha (a perfected one) in a former life, and in this life he was born as the son of a muni. Because of poverty that came from his karma, he lived from childhood with his mother in the house of his mother’s brother. One day he was given only a very small amount of milk there. He longed for milk and asked his mother for some. His mother, who lived by tapas, went inside. She had flour gathered by gleaning (uñcha-vṛtti), mixed it with water and gave it to him lovingly as milk. The child tasted it, said “This is not real milk,” and began to weep again.

His mother wiped his tears and said: “We live always in the forest. How can we get real milk? Without the anugraha (grace) of Śambhu, milk will not come to us. My son, we receive in this birth exactly as much as we worshipped Śiva in earlier births, and no more. This is certain.”

Upamanyu’s tapas in the Himālayas

Upamanyu heard his mother’s words, comforted her and spoke with firm resolve: “Mother, do not grieve. O puṇyātmā (holy one), with the presence of Śambhu everything becomes complete. Now hear my word. Wherever Mahādeva is, sooner or later I will obtain the ocean of milk.”

He bowed to her and went to the Himālayas. There he built a small temple of eight bricks and shaped a liṅga of clay. Living on air alone, he installed Śiva together with Pārvatī in the liṅga and began to worship with complete one-pointed devotion. He recited the Pañcākshara mantra and worshipped with leaves, flowers and other things he found in the forest. The tapas of this young boy of great spirit was so strong that the whole moving and unmoving world was filled with light.

Śiva takes the form of Sureśvara

At the request of Vishṇu and others, Bhagavān Śambhu decided to test Upamanyu’s devotion. He took the form of Indra (Sureśvara). Pārvatī took the form of Śacī. The gaṇas (Śiva’s attendants) became devas. Nandīśvara became the elephant Airāvata. Everyone in the company took on the look of Indra’s court.

In this disguise Bhagavān Śiva came to Upamanyu’s āśrama with Pārvatī and the gaṇas in the forms of devas. He spoke to him gravely: “O great tapasvin, I am pleased with your tapas. Ask for a vara. I will give you all your wishes, without doubt.”

Upamanyu joined his hands and answered: “I ask for devotion to Śiva.”

Then Sureśvara tried to turn him away: “You do not know who I am. I am Indra, the protector of the devas, the lord of the three worlds, worshipped by all the devas. O viprarshi, become my devotee and always worship me. I will give you everything. May you be blessed. Give up that nirguṇa Rudra. What use is there in worshipping the nirguṇa Rudra? He was driven out by the devas and became a piśāca.”

Upamanyu’s declaration that Rudra is supreme

Upamanyu understood at once that this being had come to block his dharma. He kept up his Pañcākshara japa and answered with complete calm and strength:

“You speak of nirguṇatva (being without qualities) and piśācatva (being a piśāca) and such things in Rudra as if they were faults. You do not know the Rudra who is the lord of all the lords of the devas, the father of Brahmā, Vishṇu and Maheśvara, who is beyond Prakṛti. Those who know Brahman declare that Rudra is the true nature of both kārya (effect) and kāraṇa (cause). The shown universe and the unshown Prakṛti are his true nature. He is eternal, one without a second, of many forms. I ask for a vara from that Rudra.

“Those who know the tattvas (truths) declare that Rudra is beyond the reach of hetu-vāda (argument by logic), that he gives moksha through jñāna-yoga, and that he is the Paramātman. I ask for a vara from that Rudra. There is no higher tattva than Śambhu. Śambhu alone is the cause of all causes. He is greater than Brahmā, Vishṇu and all the devas, beyond the three guṇas and present in all things. I will not ask for a vara from you, or from Brahmā, or from Vishṇu, or from any other deva. May Śiva give me the vara!

“And more: I heard Śiva-nindā (insult to Śiva) in your words. This has happened because in a former birth I committed pāpa (sin), and for that I must hear this insult. But one who hears Śiva-nindā must give up this body at once, and by doing so he reaches Śivaloka immediately. So, setting aside even my wish for milk, I will destroy you with the Śivāstra and then give up this body, O lowest of devas!”

The Aghorāstra and Śiva’s true form

After he spoke, Upamanyu took vibhūti (sacred ash) from the pīṭha (base) of the Śivaliṅga, charged it with the Aghorāstra mantra and hurled it at Indra with a lion’s roar. Then he fixed his mind on the lotus feet of his ishṭadaiva (his chosen form of Bhagavān Śiva) and took up the Āgneyāstra to set his own body on fire.

Bhagavān Śiva, still in the form of Indra, saw this great steadfastness. At once he took on a gentle and kind form and stopped the fire that Upamanyu had charged. At the command of Nandīśvara, Nandī caught the Aghorāstra in mid-air and turned it aside. Then Parameśvara showed his true form.

Before Upamanyu stood Bhagavān Śiva with the crescent moon on his head. With him appeared an ocean of milk, an ocean of curd, an ocean of sweet dishes and an ocean of ghee, all without end. Pārvatī was seen at his side. Nandīśvara showed himself in his own form. The leaders of the gaṇas stood in service. Bhagavān Śiva held the triśūla (trident) and divine weapons. Flowers rained from the sky and dundubhis (drums) sounded. Vishṇu, Brahmā and the devas filled all ten directions.

A great ocean of ānanda (joy) rose in Upamanyu’s heart. Overcome with devotion and humility, he bowed full length at the feet of Bhagavān Śiva.

Śiva adopts Upamanyu

Bhagavān Śiva called Upamanyu close, saying “Come! Come!” He kissed the boy’s forehead and said: “O Upamanyu, I am pleased with your fine conduct. O viprarshi, your devotion is firm and cannot be shaken. I came today to test you. You will always enjoy food and pleasures freely with your family. You will always be free from sorrow, my devotee, and full of happiness. O Upamanyu of great spirit, this woman is your mother Pārvatī. Today I accept you for ever as my son.”

Bhagavān Śiva then gave Upamanyu these varas:

• the Pāśupata vrata (vow)
• the jñāna-yoga by which Īśvara is reached through the vrata
• the power of pravacana (teaching)
• his own dhāma (abode)
• an inexhaustible ocean of milk, given in condensed form (piṇḍa)
• yoga-śakti
• eternal ānanda
• inexhaustible Brahmavidyā
• supreme samṛddhi (prosperity)

He kissed the boy’s forehead again and said to Pārvatī: “This is your son.” Pārvatī placed her lotus hand on his head and gave him the eternal kumāra-pada, the standing of a divine son.

Upamanyu’s heart was full of waves of ānanda. He joined his hands and asked Bhagavān Śiva for what he held to be the highest gifts: “O Deva-deva, give me constant and unshaken supreme devotion to you. Give me śraddhā (faith) toward your devotees, dāsya (service) to you, your pure friendship and your constant sānidhya (nearness).”

Bhagavān Śiva answered with deep joy: “O Upamanyu, you are dhanya (blessed), my special devotee. You will be immortal, free from old age and death, free from sorrow at all times, worshipped by all, free from vikāras (change), the greatest among my bhaktas. Your lineage, your kula and your gotra will be eternal and cannot be destroyed. Your devotion to me will last. O maharshi, I myself will live in your āśrama for ever. Live in joy, without sorrow.”

Then Bhagavān Śiva vanished with Pārvatī and all the gaṇas.

Upamanyu returns home

Upamanyu, having received the highest varas, went back to his mother and told her everything. She was filled with great ānanda. From then on he lived worshipped by all and always in great happiness.

The fruit of hearing this account

The Śata Rudra Saṃhitā declares that this charitra (account) of the Sureśvara Avatāra is pure and fulfils all wishes. It gives svarga (heaven), fame and long life, and it gives both bhukti (enjoyment) and mukti (liberation) to good people (sat-purushas). Whoever hears it or recites it daily with devotion will enjoy all pleasures in this world and after death will reach the abode of Śiva.

Sources

• Śiva Purāṇa, Śata Rudra Saṃhitā, Chapter 32