Shloka 21
स्वप्नवर्णनपूर्वकं संक्षेपशिवचरितवर्णनम् / Dream-Portents and a Concise Account of Śiva’s Career
गिरीश्वर उवाच । हे प्रियेऽपररात्रान्ते स्वप्नो दृष्टो मयापि हि । तं शृणु त्वं महाप्रीत्या वच्म्यहं तं समादरात्
girīśvara uvāca | he priye'pararātrānte svapno dṛṣṭo mayāpi hi | taṃ śṛṇu tvaṃ mahāprītyā vacmyahaṃ taṃ samādarāt
Girīśvara said: “O beloved, toward the end of the night I too indeed beheld a dream. Listen with great joy; with due reverence I shall tell it to you.”
Lord Shiva (Girīśvara)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga episode; the verse signals Śiva’s gracious self-disclosure through a shared dream, a narrative device that foreshadows His acceptance of Pārvatī.
Significance: Hearing/reciting this section is framed in Purāṇic tradition as śravaṇa-bhakti that ripens toward Śiva’s grace (anugraha) (general).
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: nurturing
Cosmic Event: apararātra-anta (end of the latter night) as liminal time for revelation/omens
FAQs
The verse frames divine communication as grace: Śiva, the Pati (Lord), lovingly prepares Pārvatī to receive a revelatory message, indicating that higher guidance can arise when the mind is quiet and receptive (end of night), strengthening bhakti and trust in Śiva’s direction.
By addressing Pārvatī intimately and speaking of a meaningful dream, Śiva is presented in a saguna (personal) form—approachable and compassionate—mirroring how devotees relate to Śiva in Linga worship: the transcendent is encountered through a gracious, communicative presence.
The timing “end of the night” aligns with brahma-muhūrta practice: quiet japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with a reverent, attentive mind, treating inner experiences with discernment and devotion rather than distraction.