Shloka 20
त्रिपुरदीक्षाविधानम् — Tripura Dīkṣā: Prescriptive Procedure
Chapter on the Ordinance of Initiation
ततश्चैव पुनर्गत्वा मरुस्थल्यां त्वया विभो । स्थातव्यं च स्वधर्मेण कलिर्यावत्समा व्रजेत्
tataścaiva punargatvā marusthalyāṃ tvayā vibho | sthātavyaṃ ca svadharmeṇa kaliryāvatsamā vrajet
“Then, O mighty one, having gone back again to the desert, you should remain there, abiding in your own ordained duty, until the age of Kali has run its course.”
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Rudrasaṃhitā account to the sages, conveying the instruction given within the story)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Role: nurturing
Cosmic Event: Kali-yuga duration implied (yuga-cycle governance)
FAQs
It emphasizes steadfastness in svadharma—remaining firm in one’s divinely assigned role—so that spiritual order is preserved through the turbulence of Kali Yuga, aligning the soul (paśu) toward Shiva (Pati) through disciplined endurance.
By instructing continued residence and duty through Kali, it implies sustained, regular practice rather than escapism—daily Shiva-upāsanā (often centered on the Linga as Saguna support) becomes the stabilizing means to live dharmically in the darkest age.
The takeaway is constancy: maintain daily Shiva practice through Kali—japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), along with simple observances like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa, performed as part of one’s svadharma.