Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 7
दक्षस्य तपः तथा जगदम्बायाः प्रत्यक्षता — Dakṣa’s Austerities and the Direct Manifestation of Jagadambā
मारुताशी निराहारो जलाहारी च पर्णभुक् । एवं निनाय तं कालं चिंतयन्तां जगन्मयीम्
mārutāśī nirāhāro jalāhārī ca parṇabhuk | evaṃ nināya taṃ kālaṃ ciṃtayantāṃ jaganmayīm
Tantôt se nourrissant d’air, tantôt jeûnant entièrement, tantôt ne vivant que d’eau, et tantôt ne mangeant que des feuilles—ainsi Satī, incarnation même de l’univers, traversa ce temps dans une contemplation inébranlable (du Seigneur Śiva).
Sūta Gosvāmi (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shakti Form: Satī
Role: liberating
FAQs
It presents Satī’s graded austerities—air, fasting, water, and leaves—as an outward discipline supporting inner steadiness (cintā) on Śiva, showing that true tapas culminates in unwavering God-centered contemplation.
Although the verse emphasizes meditation, its context is devotion to Śiva as the approachable Lord (Saguna), for whom disciplined vows and focused remembrance prepare the devotee for deeper worship—often expressed in the Purāṇa through liṅga-pūjā, japa, and dhyāna.
A vrata-like discipline: regulated fasting (upavāsa), simplicity of diet, and sustained dhyāna/japa on Śiva—commonly paired in Shaiva practice with the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and observances such as Mahāśivarātri.