Upamanyu and Kṛshṇa

Upamanyu was a ṛshi who, from childhood, lived only on milk that he begged, and who loved Bhagavān Śiva with a whole heart. In the Vāyuvīya Saṃhitā of the Śiva Purāṇa, his meeting with Śrī Kṛshṇa is the central account of the Pūrva Khaṇḍa. Upamanyu is the great example of a Pāśupata tapasvin (one who practises tapas). Kṛshṇa came to him to ask for Bhagavān Śiva’s grace and a son. Upamanyu taught him the pañcākshara (the five-syllable mantra) and the Pāśupata vrata (vow). Kṛshṇa then did tapas on Śvetadvīpa, saw Bhagavān Śiva and Devī Pārvatī, and Sāmba was born. The teaching Upamanyu gave is the teaching that fills the Uttara Khaṇḍa.

Upamanyu’s childhood and tapas

Upamanyu was the son of a great ṛshi and grew up in the forest. From his earliest age he lived only on milk. First he drank his mother’s milk. Then he begged milk from the cows of the forest-dwellers. When this was not enough, he drank the water in which rice had been washed. His way of eating was a vrata, the milk vow (kshīra-vrata). It showed his complete purity, and it showed Bhagavān Śiva as the one who feeds all.

Even as a child, Upamanyu loved Bhagavān Śiva completely. He saw Bhagavān Śiva as his father, mother, guru and friend, and as the very ground of all that is. He did tapas of great strength. For long periods he meditated on the form of Bhagavān Śiva with perfect focus.

Indra’s test

The power of Upamanyu’s tapas reached Indra in svarga (heaven) and troubled him. Indra feared that such austere practice might threaten the order of the worlds. He came down to the āśrama (hermitage) in the form of Bhagavān Śiva himself. He took Bhagavān Śiva’s white form, with the crescent moon, the Gaṅgā and the trident.

This false “Śiva” came to Upamanyu and began to speak against the real Bhagavān Śiva: “Why do you worship Śiva? He is a ruler of cremation grounds. He wears snakes. He is an ascetic with doubtful friends. Worship me, Indra. I am the king of the devas, the ruler of svarga.”

Upamanyu saw through the trick at once. He answered without wavering: “I know you are not Śiva. Śiva would never run himself down. Only cheats speak against their master. Whoever you are, go away. My devotion to Śiva is complete, and no being in the three worlds can shake it.”

Indra saw Upamanyu’s fine viveka (discernment) and steady courage (dhairya). He showed his true form, praised Upamanyu, and left.

Bhagavān Śiva’s darśana to Upamanyu

Bhagavān Śiva was moved by Upamanyu’s firm devotion, and he appeared before him in his full glory. Devī Pārvatī was with him, and the gaṇas (his attendants) stood round him, shining with divine light. Bhagavān Śiva laid his hand on Upamanyu’s head and gave him these blessings:

• Direct knowledge of the Śaiva tattvas (truths): paśu, pāśa and pati
• Full initiation into the pañcākshara
• The gift of never dying and of lasting youth
• The vara (boon) that Upamanyu would be Bhagavān Śiva’s chief messenger on earth, passing on Śaiva wisdom to worthy seekers

From then on Upamanyu set up his āśrama. He lived as the greatest Śaiva teacher of his age. He still lived on milk and kept the full Pāśupata vrata.

Kṛshṇa comes to Upamanyu

Śrī Kṛshṇa came to Upamanyu’s āśrama. The text names him as the avatāra of Vishṇu, the ruler of Dvārakā, and the jewel (tilaka) of the Yadu line. He wanted a son of great spiritual and bodily gifts. Only Bhagavān Śiva’s blessing could grant such a vara.

When Kṛshṇa arrived, Upamanyu welcomed him with great joy. Kṛshṇa bowed to the ground before the ṛshi in full humility, though he is the supreme avatāra of Vishṇu.

Upamanyu’s teaching to Kṛshṇa

Upamanyu then gave Kṛshṇa a full initiation in Śaiva teaching and practice. This teaching forms the whole of the Uttara Khaṇḍa. It covers eight subjects.

1. Śiva tattva. The nature of Bhagavān Śiva as the supreme Parabrahman, beyond the three mūrtis (Brahmā, Vishṇu and Rudra).
2. Paśu, pāśa, pati. The three realities of Śaiva Siddhānta.
3. Pañcabrahma. Bhagavān Śiva’s fivefold showing of himself in creation.
4. Pañcākshara. The highest mantra, its meaning and the rules of japa (repeating it).
5. Pāśupata vrata. The whole path of Bhagavān Śiva’s grace.
6. Ashṭāṅga yoga. The eight-limbed yoga of the Śaiva way.
7. Dīkshā. The system of initiation.
8. Śivadharma. The four pādas (parts) of the Śaiva way of life.

Kṛshṇa listened with full attention and respect. At the end of the teaching, Upamanyu formally initiated Kṛshṇa into the pañcākshara and the Pāśupata vrata.

Kṛshṇa’s tapas on Śvetadvīpa

After his initiation, Kṛshṇa went to Śvetadvīpa, the White Island. It is the realm of Vishṇu’s devotees in the ocean of milk. There he did hard tapas to Bhagavān Śiva. He kept the full Pāśupata vrata with great sincerity. He held back his breath, his food and his senses, and he fixed his mind on Bhagavān Śiva with steady dhāraṇā (concentration) and dhyāna (meditation).

In time, Bhagavān Śiva and Devī Pārvatī appeared to Kṛshṇa in person. Kṛshṇa bowed fully and praised them with a stotra. Bhagavān Śiva was pleased and asked what vara Kṛshṇa wanted.

Kṛshṇa asked for a son of the highest qualities, worthy of the Yadu line. Bhagavān Śiva gave this vara. By this divine grace, Sāmba was born to Kṛshṇa.

How the teaching reached the Naimishāraṇya ṛshis

The teaching did not stay in Dvārakā. The text tells how it was passed on. Śrī Kṛshṇa passed on his talk with Upamanyu. It became known to Sanatkumāra, who passed it to Vyāsa. Vyāsa passed it to Sūta, who tells it in the frame set at Naimishāraṇya in the Vāyuvīya Saṃhitā. So the full teaching reaches the ṛshis gathered at Naimishāraṇya, and through the text, all later devotees of Bhagavān Śiva.

The line of transmission is Bhagavān Śiva, Upamanyu, Kṛshṇa, Sanatkumāra, Vyāsa, Sūta, and then the ṛshis of Naimishāraṇya.

Other accounts of Kṛshṇa’s tapas

The Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva, Chapters 14–15, gives another account of Kṛshṇa’s tapas at Upamanyu’s āśrama. There the request for a son comes from Queen Jāmbavatī. Bhagavān Śiva, in the form of Indra, tests Upamanyu’s own devotion long before Kṛshṇa comes. Then follow a long vision of Bhagavān Śiva, a list of earlier devotees of Bhagavān Śiva, and sixteen varas that Bhagavān Śiva and Devī Pārvatī together give to Kṛshṇa. The Kūrma Purāṇa also has its own account.

Sources

• Śiva Purāṇa, Vāyuvīya Saṃhitā, Pūrva Khaṇḍa (the account of Upamanyu and Kṛshṇa)
• Śiva Purāṇa, Vāyuvīya Saṃhitā, Uttara Khaṇḍa (the teaching given to Kṛshṇa)
• Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva, Chapters 14–15 (another account)
• Kūrma Purāṇa (another account)