Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 22
शुक्रस्य जठरस्थत्वं तथा मृत्युशमनी-विद्या (Śukra in Śiva’s belly and the death-subduing vidyā)
यः पीत्वा कणधूमं वै सहस्रं शरदां पुरा । त्वया प्राप्ता वरा विद्या तस्याः कालोयमागतः
yaḥ pītvā kaṇadhūmaṃ vai sahasraṃ śaradāṃ purā | tvayā prāptā varā vidyā tasyāḥ kāloyamāgataḥ
Der, der einst den Rauch der Spreu tausend Herbste lang trank—für jene erhabene heilige Vidyā, die du als Gnade erlangtest, ist nun die Zeit ihrer Frucht gekommen.
Suta Goswami (narrating the dialogue of the Yuddhakhaṇḍa context)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Role: teaching
Cosmic Event: Long-duration tapas motif: ‘a thousand autumns’ as mythic time-span indicating extraordinary austerity and delayed fruition of boon/vidyā.
FAQs
It teaches that intense tapas and boon-granted spiritual knowledge (vidyā) bear fruit only when the divinely appointed time matures—highlighting Shiva’s governance of karma and grace (anugraha).
The verse implies that realized knowledge is not merely intellectual; through devotion and discipline directed to Saguna Shiva (often approached via Linga worship), the granted vidyā becomes effective when Shiva’s will aligns with the seeker’s ripened merit.
A takeaway is steadfast tapas with mantra-vidyā and disciplined sādhanā (japa and dhyāna), trusting that its siddhi manifests at the proper time—often supported in Shaiva practice by bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) and regular Shiva-pūjā.