Sureshvara Avatara

Nandishvara said

Son, listen: I will tell of Shiva, the supreme self's Sureshvara avatara, in which he brought welfare to Dhoumya's elder brother. Vyaghrapada's son was the wise Upamanyu, loved by the virtuous, who in another life became a sage's son and gained success. By destiny Upamanyu was poor. As a child he lived with his mother in his maternal uncle's house. Once, in the uncle's hermitage, he tasted a little milk. Delighted, he longed for plenty of milk and asked his mother. Hearing her son, the ascetic mother was miserable and thought of a good way to satisfy him. Living by gleaning grain, she collected some, ground it, mixed it with water into a paste and, fondling her son, gave him this artificial milk. The child drank it and told his mother it was not milk, and began to weep again. Hearing him cry she wiped his tears with lotus-like hands and said sadly: we always live in the forest, how can we get milk here? Without Shambhu's favour we cannot get milk. Son, we can only get what we offered Shiva in an earlier birth, so there is no point thinking about this. Vyaghrapada's son heard his mother, and, loving her, did not grieve any more but answered: mother, enough weeping; if Shambhu is the giver everything will be well; give up this grief, mother, all will be well; listen to my words: if Mahadeva exists anywhere, sooner or later I will get an ocean of milk. Saying this, the child lovingly told her "Let all be auspicious," bowed to her, took leave and prepared for austerities. He went to the Himalayas, controlled himself and lived on air. He made a lingam of clay and set it on a pedestal of eight bricks, and with the panchakshara mantra devotedly invoked Shiva and Amba there. The child worshipped them with leaves, flowers and other things, meditated on Shiva and Amba and did japa of the panchakshara. He spent a long time in such worship, engaged in supreme austerities, and by the great-souled child's austerities the world with its moving and unmoving beings was scorched.

Meanwhile, at the request of Vishnu and others, Lord Shambhu wished to test his devotion and took Shakra's form. Shivaa took Shachi's form and the ganas became all the gods. Nandi became the elephant Airavata and everyone else took such forms. With Amba, in Shakra's form and with the ganas, Shiva quickly went to Upamanyu's hermitage to show him favour. To test the child's devotion, in Shakra's form Hara said to him gravely: excellent in vows, I am satisfied with your austerities, ask a boon and I will surely give you whatever you desire. Addressed so by Shambhu in Shakra's form, he folded his hands and said he chose devotion to Shiva. Hearing this, "Hari" said: you do not know me, I am lord of the gods, Shakra, lord of the three worlds, before whom all the gods bow. Brahmana rishi, become my devotee and always worship me and I will give you everything fortunate. Give up Rudra, who has no gunas; enough of Rudra, who has no qualities, what do you have to do with him? He is outside the god species and has become a pishacha. Hearing this the sage's son did japa of the panchakshara and spoke to the one he thought had come to hinder his pursuit of dharma. Upamanyu said: you say all this because you are fixed on criticising Bhava, and in passing you have said the lord of the gods lacks gunas and is a pishacha. You do not know Rudra. He is lord of all the lords among gods, father of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha, greater than Prakriti, beyond existence and non-existence, unmanifest, spoken of by those who know brahman, eternal, one and many. I choose him as my boon. He is free of debates about cause, supreme in the meanings of Samkhya and yoga, say those who know Isha's nature. No one is greater than Shambhu, cause of all causes, supreme lord, superior in qualities to Brahma, Vishnu and the other gods. I want no boon from Brahma, Vishnu or you, nor from any other immortal, but from Shankara, the giver of boons. Not to say more, I have told you the truth and my view: clearly I want no god other than Pashupati. Enemy of mountains, hear my feeling: I conclude that in another life I must have committed sins, since I have heard Bhava criticised. Anyone who hears Bhava criticised should at once cast off his own body, and, having been killed, will swiftly reach Shiva's world. Worst of gods, I did hold a desire for milk, but I will now use Shiva's weapon to kill you and give up my body. Having said this Upamanyu resolved to die, gave up his desire for milk and got ready to kill Shakra. He took ash from a receptacle and, reciting mantras, created the aghora weapon. Roaring, the sage released it toward Shakra, and, remembering the two feet of his chosen divinity, got ready to burn himself. Upamanyu stood radiant holding the blazing weapon, in that posture of concentration. In his Shakra form Bhagavan amiably countered him: when Upamanyu hurled the aghora weapon created in rage, he engaged Nandishvara, and Nandi, loved by Shankara, seized it in mid-air.

Then Bhagavan Parameshvara showed his own form to the brahmana, with the crescent moon on his head. He showed him thousands of oceans of milk, the ocean of curd and the ocean of foods. He saw also Shambhu seated with Devi on the bull, surrounded by gana leaders, the trident and other divine weapons. Drums sounded in heaven and flowers fell. Vishnu, Brahma, Indra and the foremost gods crowded the ten directions. Upamanyu was flooded by an ocean of bliss, and, his senses humbled by devotion, fell on the ground like a rod. At that moment Bhagavan Bhava smiled at him, saying "Come, come," called him, smelled the fragrance of his head and gave him boons. Shiva said: child Upamanyu, I am pleased with your excellent conduct. Brahmana rishi, I tested you just now but your devotion was firm. From now on always enjoy food and other pleasures with your relatives, always be happy and free from misery, and stay devoted to me. Upamanyu, Parvati is your mother. From now I have made you my eternal son. Great sage, I am pleased with you: accept these thousands of oceans of milk, curd, ghee, honey and other foods and everything else that I give you. I give you immortality and the eternal status of ganapati. Mahadeva is your father and the mother of the universe your mother. Cheerfully ask for any other boons you wish in your mind. You will be free from old age and death and from sorrows, famous and supremely energetic, with divine knowledge, a great lord. Shambhu, pleased and remembering his great austerities, again gave the sage divine boons: knowledge of the Pashupata vow and true knowledge of vows and yoga. He gave him skill in speech and his own region. Having granted these, Mahadeva embraced him and smelled the fragrance of his head, presented him to Devi and said, "This is your son." Hearing this, the delighted Devi touched his head with her lotus hands and gave him the eternal status of her son. She gave him the essence of the ocean of milk and of curd, as tasty as milk, and they would be eternal, and she gave them in the form of a pinda. She gave him the lasting prosperity of yoga and satisfaction and the eternal knowledge of brahman, and, satisfied, gave him supreme prosperity. Having received these divine boons from Shiva and Shivaa and the eternal status of their son, he rejoiced, folded his hands and bowed with a delighted face. Lovingly he asked a boon of Maheshvara, lord of the gods: be pleased with me, Parameshvara, and grant me supreme devotion to you, divine and unwavering; let me have constant devotion toward those associated with you, and grant me your supreme affection and constant presence. His voice choked with joy, pleased, he said this in faltering words, and the supreme brahmana Upamanyu praised Mahadeva. Addressed so, Lord Shiva, lord of everyone, happily replied while all present heard: Upamanyu, child, you are blessed, my special devotee; I will grant you everything you have asked. You will not suffer old age or death, will always be free of misery and be worshipped by all. You will be free of faults and my foremost devotee. You will always have inexhaustible relatives, family and gotra, and your devotion to me will be eternal. Sage, I will always stay near your hermitage; stay as you wish and do not be anxious. Having said this, Bhagavan gave him those excellent boons, and then with his relatives and ganas vanished at once.

Having got those excellent boons from Shambhu, Upamanyu was pleased, went to his mother's home and told her all that had happened. Hearing it his mother was full of delight. He was worshipped by all and always gained great happiness. Nandi said he had described Shiva the supreme self's Sureshvara avatara, which always brings the virtuous happiness. This unsullied account gives all desired fruits, grants heaven, fame, long life, enjoyment and liberation to the virtuous, and one who controls himself and devotedly hears it or has it heard enjoys every happiness in this world and at the end gains a destination with Shiva.