Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 1
वृन्दायाः दुष्स्वप्न-दर्शनं तथा पातिव्रत्य-भङ्गोपक्रमः / Vṛndā’s Ominous Dreams and the Prelude to the Breach of Chastity
व्यास उवाच । सनत्कुमार सर्वज्ञ वद त्वं वदतां वर । किमकार्षीद्धरिस्तत्र धर्मं तत्याज सा कथम्
vyāsa uvāca | sanatkumāra sarvajña vada tvaṃ vadatāṃ vara | kimakārṣīddharistatra dharmaṃ tatyāja sā katham
Vyāsa dit : «Ô Sanatkumāra, toi qui sais tout, le meilleur des orateurs, dis-moi : qu’a fait Hari en ce lieu, et comment a-t-il abandonné le dharma en cette situation ?»
Vyāsa
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Role: teaching
FAQs
This verse frames a dharmic inquiry: even exalted beings like Hari are examined through the lens of dharma, emphasizing (in Shaiva Siddhanta) that true right-action must align with the highest divine order ultimately rooted in Śiva.
By questioning the limits of worldly dharma in conflict, the text prepares the listener to see Saguna Śiva as the supreme arbiter of cosmic law—beyond partisan outcomes—toward whom devotion (including Liṅga worship) becomes the stabilizing refuge.
The practical takeaway is dharma-vicāra (self-inquiry into right conduct) supported by Śiva-smaraṇa—steady remembrance of Śiva, traditionally strengthened through japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) before acting.