Shloka 16
सत्यप्रतिज्ञा-तपःसंवादः
Pārvatī’s Vow of Truth and the Dialogue on Her Tapas
पूर्वं श्रुतं मया चैव व्रतन्तस्य भयंकरम् । शृणु ते निगदाम्यद्य यदि ते श्रवणे रुचिः
pūrvaṃ śrutaṃ mayā caiva vratantasya bhayaṃkaram | śṛṇu te nigadāmyadya yadi te śravaṇe ruciḥ
Yo también he oído antes la temible consecuencia que llega al término de un voto sagrado (vrata). Si tienes gusto por escuchar, escucha: hoy te lo relataré.
Narrator (Sūta Gosvāmin, relating the Purāṇic dialogue)
FAQs
It emphasizes śravaṇa (devotional listening) and warns that vows (vrata) are spiritually potent—when undertaken, they must be completed with purity and steadiness, as their culmination brings decisive karmic and spiritual results.
Vratas in the Shiva Purana commonly culminate in Saguna Shiva worship—Linga-pūjā, mantra-japa, and offerings—so the verse sets the tone that such observances are not casual; their completion is transformative and must be approached with reverence to Lord Shiva.
The immediate practice is śravaṇa—attentive listening to Shiva-kathā as a devotional discipline; in the broader vrata context, it points toward disciplined observance supported by mantra-japa (often the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and regular worship.