Shloka 12
काम-शक्र-संवादः / Dialogue of Kāma and Śakra
Indra
दातुः परीक्षा दुर्भिक्षे रणे शूरस्य जायते । आपत्काले तु मित्रस्याशक्तौ स्त्रीणां कुलस्य हि
dātuḥ parīkṣā durbhikṣe raṇe śūrasya jāyate | āpatkāle tu mitrasyāśaktau strīṇāṃ kulasya hi
Der Spender wird in der Hungersnot geprüft; der Held wird in der Schlacht geprüft. Der Freund wird in Zeiten des Unheils geprüft; und eine Familie wird geprüft, wenn ihre Frauen in Not und Ohnmacht geraten.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Purāṇic teaching to the sages, within the Pārvatīkhaṇḍa context)
Tattva Level: pashu
FAQs
It teaches that dharma becomes real only under pressure: generosity, courage, loyalty, and family responsibility are revealed in hardship—qualities Shaiva tradition values as expressions of right conduct aligned with Shiva’s order (ṛta).
Linga worship is not only ritual but character-formation: devotion to Saguna Shiva should mature into lived dharma—charity, fearlessness in duty, and protection of those in distress—making worship truthful rather than merely external.
Practice japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with a vow of practical seva: give charity in scarcity, stand firm in righteous duty, and actively support those facing calamity—especially the vulnerable.