Upamanyu () is a rishi (sage) in

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

, best known for being a devotee of the deity

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

, and being the leader of the ganas (Gāṇamtya). He is said to be the father or ancestor of the sage Kamboja Aupamanyava referred to in the

Vamsa Brahmana The Brahmanas (; Sanskrit: , ''Brāhmaṇam'') are Vedic śruti works attached to the Samhitas (hymns and mantras) of the Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva Vedas. They are a secondary layer or classification of Sanskrit texts embedded within ea ...

(1.18) of the

Sama Veda The Samaveda (, from ' "song" and ' "knowledge"), is the Veda of melodies and chants. It is an ancient Vedic Sanskrit text, and part of the scriptures of Hinduism. One of the four Vedas, it is a liturgical text which consists of 1,875 verses. A ...

Legend

In the

Shiva Purana The ''Shiva Purana'' is one of eighteen major texts of the '' Purana'' genre of Sanskrit texts in Hinduism, and part of the Shaivism literature corpus. It primarily revolves around the Hindu god Shiva and goddess Parvati, but references and rev ...

, Upamanyu is stated to be the son of Sage Vyāghrapāda. Once, he drank his fill of milk at his uncle's ashrama, and urged his mother to offer him milk as well. Dejected that she could not offer her son milk because of their family's poverty, she offered him a milk substitute instead, which he rejected. Upamanyu's mother then told him to devote himself to Shiva, who would grant him what he wished. The boy resolved to perform a penance to Shiva to ask for an ocean of milk, to which his mother offered her consent. He travelled to the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...

, where he built a

lingam A lingam ( sa, लिङ्ग , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. It is typically the primary '' murti'' or devotional ...

and started to chant the Panchaksharam. He was harassed by a number of ghosts sent by

Marichi Marichi ( sa, मरीचि, Marīci, lit=ray of light) or Mareechi or Marishi is the mind-born son of Brahma, and one of the Saptarishi in Hindu mythology. He is also the father of Kashyapa, and the grandfather of the ''devas'' and the ...

, but was resolute. Upamanyu's penance was so powerful that he started to cause Devaloka to burn. The

devas Devas may refer to: * Devas Club, a club in south London * Anthony Devas (1911–1958), British portrait painter * Charles Stanton Devas (1848–1906), political economist * Jocelyn Devas (died 1886), founder of the Devas Club * Devas (band), ...

hastened to

Vaikuntha Vaikuntha ( sa, वैकुण्ठ, lit=without anxiety, translit=Vaikuṇṭha), also called Vishnuloka (), and Tirunatu (Tirunāṭu) in Tamil, is the abode of Vishnu, the supreme deity in the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism,Gavin Flood, A ...

to inform

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

, who in turn brought these tidings to Shiva. Shiva assumed the disguise of Indra and visited the boy, asking him to seek a boon of his choice. Upamanyu chose to be devoted to Shiva as his boon. Shiva asked Upamanyu to abandon him, and made a number of disparaging remarks against himself. Infuriated, Upamanyu chanted the Panchaksharam, cupped some ash, and hurled it at Shiva. The Aghorāstra he hurled was gently extinguished by Shiva, and the latter assumed his true form. Greatly pleased, Shiva offered his devotee all the milk he desired, and endowed him with sacred rites and knowledge.{{Cite web , last=www.wisdomlib.org , date=2018-11-09 , title=The story of Upamanyu hapter 35, url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/shiva-purana-english/d/doc226671.html , access-date=2022-11-06 , website=www.wisdomlib.org , language=en

Legend

References

See also