Pratyakṣa–Āgama–Ācāra: Doubt, Proof, and the Practice of Dharma (प्रत्यक्ष–आगम–आचारविचारः)
आत्मानमुपजीवन दीक्षां द्वादशवार्षिकीम्
ātmānam upajīvan dīkṣāṃ dvādaśavārṣikīm
“Dengan hidup bersandar pada diri sendiri, hendaknya ia menjalani dīkṣā—kaul inisiasi—selama dua belas tahun.”
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
The verse underscores sustained self-discipline: one should rely on one’s own regulated life (ātma-niyama) and undertake a long, consecrated observance (dīkṣā) for purification and firmness in dharma.
Śrīmaheśvara is speaking, prescribing a specific ascetic-religious regimen: a twelve-year dīkṣā characterized by self-reliant subsistence and disciplined conduct, presented as a means to spiritual and ethical attainment.