Shloka 3
त्रिपुरदीक्षाविधानम् — Tripura Dīkṣā: Prescriptive Procedure
Chapter on the Ordinance of Initiation
वस्त्रयुक्तं तथा हस्तं क्षीयमाणं मुखे सदा । धर्मेति व्याहरंतं हि वाचा विक्लवया मुनिम्
vastrayuktaṃ tathā hastaṃ kṣīyamāṇaṃ mukhe sadā | dharmeti vyāharaṃtaṃ hi vācā viklavayā munim
They saw the sage with his hand still holding his cloth, his face continually wasting away; and with a trembling, faltering voice he kept uttering only the word “Dharma.”
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Not a jyotirliṅga episode; the repeated utterance ‘dharma’ functions as a didactic marker—dharma as the outward sign while inner truth remains concealed.
Significance: Meditation on ‘dharma’ as lived humility: recognizing that true dharma may appear in frailty and disguise, preparing the seeker for grace (anugraha).
Mantra: धर्मेति (dharma iti)
Role: teaching
FAQs
It portrays a soul under extreme distress whose outer strength collapses, yet whose inner refuge remains Dharma—suggesting that in crisis one should cling to righteous conduct and remembrance, which in Shaiva Siddhanta becomes a support for turning toward Pati (Shiva) rather than panic and adharma.
In the Shiva Purana’s devotional framework, “Dharma” is not merely social duty but the lived alignment that makes one fit for Shiva’s grace; such steadiness naturally culminates in Saguna Shiva worship—approaching the Linga with purity, restraint, and supplication when life feels fragile.
A practical takeaway is japa and steady remembrance during fear—reciting Shiva’s name (especially the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while maintaining dharmic restraint; if performed ritually, it may be paired with simple Linga worship and mental surrender rather than elaborate rites.