Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 51
वृन्दायाः दुष्स्वप्न-दर्शनं तथा पातिव्रत्य-भङ्गोपक्रमः / Vṛndā’s Ominous Dreams and the Prelude to the Breach of Chastity
ततो हरिस्तामनुसंस्मन्मुहुर्वृन्दाचिताभस्मरजोवगुंठितः । तत्रैव तस्थौ सुरसिद्धसंघकैः प्रबोध्यमानोपि ययौ न शांतिम्
tato haristāmanusaṃsmanmuhurvṛndācitābhasmarajovaguṃṭhitaḥ | tatraiva tasthau surasiddhasaṃghakaiḥ prabodhyamānopi yayau na śāṃtim
Thereafter Hari, again and again remembering Vṛndā, remained covered with the dust and ash from Vṛndā’s funeral pyre. Right there he stood; though awakened and consoled by groups of devas and siddhas, he still did not attain peace.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga account; it depicts Viṣṇu (Hari) in grief and unrest—an affective illustration of tirodhāna (veiling) where even a great deity-figure experiences agitation until higher resolution occurs.
Significance: Teaches vairāgya and the limits of mere consolations; points to the need for ultimate pacification through the Supreme (Śiva) beyond psychological reassurance.
FAQs
The verse highlights how even a great deity like Hari can be overwhelmed by grief and remembrance; true śānti is not produced by external consolation but arises when the mind turns from attachment toward the Supreme (Pati), the source of liberation.
By showing the limits of emotional reassurance and worldly bonds, the narrative implicitly points toward refuge in Saguna Shiva—worship of Shiva (often through the Liṅga) as the stabilizing center that grants inner peace when the mind is shaken by loss.
The imagery of ash (bhasma) evokes Shaiva practice: wearing bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) as a reminder of impermanence, alongside japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” to transform grief into detachment and devotion.