As I Know: The Lord of the Mountains – Shiv Purana: 136

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Sages feel happy but are still curious to know more about the mighty monk, who is now the son of Parvati and Shiva …now they wish to know about the visit of lord Krishna to him for the attainment of knowledge of great fast Pasupata Vrata… and aptness in awareness of Pasupati.

The great monk quenches thirst of inquisitive brahmins and Krishna with regard to other questions they carry in mind

Sages were not satisfied after Vayudeva narrated the tale of monk Upamanyu. Still certain doubts worried them. When Vayudeva came back, they went and then, sat down in front of him. Vayudeva remembered the brilliance unconquerable and the omniscient prowess whose opulence and glory was the universe where created beings whether animate or inanimate lived. Upamanyu had the boons Shiva had conferred and special treatment the Supreme demonstrated were supplementary incentives of the tapa he undertook. They wanted to know about the visit of Krishna to Upamanyu. How he learnt about the great Pasupata vrata? How Krishna attained perfection in the knowledge of Pasupati was the curiosity of brahmins.

Krishna Vasudeva descended in mortal frame on earth and for the purification of body, he had resorted to rites. When he arrived at the ashrama, he observed the splendor and radiance of the monk, who had smeared body with bhasma and the forehead had marks of tripundras, with a rosaries of beads of rudraksa. Many sages sat before him but he was lost in bhakti of Shiva. Krishna paid obeisance and eulogised the monk. At that time, he had arrived at the ashrama with a wish to have a son. Darshana of the monk brought a huge change in Krishna and he felt free from the trap of delusion, man’s karmas create.

Upamanyu smeared bhasma on the body of Krishna as chanting of mantras continued and so monks initiated him to perform Pasupatavrata for a period of twelve months and thereafter, monk imparted him knowledge. Now, when he gained knowledge, sages surrounded him from all sides. Krishna took consent of guru Upamanyu and meditated on Shiva to delight the great lord for securing blessings, as he desired a son. Later, a son took birth through the womb of queen Jambwati and so he called him Samba. Thus, Krishna acquired the most powerful divine shakti and gained knowledge of Pasupati with the blessing of Upamanyu and also got a son when Shiva blessed him. Brahmins wanted to know about Pasupata’s wisdom and knowledge. How Shiva is the lord of Pasus, how, O monk tell? Who was Dhoumya? Questions were genuine. Shiva made a mention of Pasupata knowledge on Mandara to Parvati. Krishna (incarnation of Vishnu) wanted to know about the great knowledge. Upamanyu thought over the anxieties of Krishna. Every being from Brahma to static-still and breathing beings are Pasus of Shiva if one considers them with regard to gods. Therefore, they are pasus of Shiva called Pasupati because the lord keeps them in bondages because of dirt of thoughts, bodies and maya. They are free from the bondages of maya and worldly ensnares only if they are true devotees of Shiva and therefore, Pasupati is the destroyer of worldly attachments.

Then, monk Upamanyu spoke about maya, karmas and qualities, which created bonds for living beings. Wise monk told that Shiva is Pasupati, the lord of Pasus and Pati ensnares the Pasus through strong ropes of dirt and worldly pleasures and attachments and then the lord at right time releases when he is pleased with the devotion. Upmanyu told that twenty-four tattvas are maya, karmas and the gunas are the qualities that keep jivas – pasus in bondages. With the consent of lord, Prakriti gave birth to Buddhi depending upon the man and then to ego and arrogance, and then he spoke of the birth of eleven sense organs and five tanmatras that created panchbhutas.

Intellect and mind decide, conceive, and imagine, he told. Intellect is the determining factor of duties and ahankara – ego, and it identifies with what it posses. ‘Inner self’ turns conscious of things and happenings around and so mind imagines, deliberates and organizes, the senses understand the objects and the limbs and organs carry all activities with the will and command of the lord and nobody violates Shiva’s decree. All work under the direction of Shiva and so, maintain the universe visible or invisible. Lord of fire accepts offerings of created beings on the instructions of Shiva you know.

All celestial beings engaged in the great work in the universe, function under the directions of Shiva, he further clarified. Nothing moved without his will. Indra was the lord of gods and so was responsible for correct governance of heavens. Work of Varuna and Yaksas was well defined. Varuna takes care of water and takes into custody – pasas of those pasus who are sinners. Whatever one observes situated and existing in the universe had the permission of lord Shiva.

One knows that without the lord’s consent, nothing exists. The lord of Wealth Kubera gives money based on good or bad karmas. However, devotees of Shiva are blessed, the monk told in brief. Through the divine power of lord, he told brahmins that all created beings – the animate and the inanimate, the earth, the mountains, the clouds, the oceans, the planets and constellations, lord Indra and other gods live. Immensity of varied acts, enormous variations in activities, and knowledge Shiva exercised, continued as miracles.

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