Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 22
शुक्रस्य जठरस्थत्वं तथा मृत्युशमनी-विद्या (Śukra in Śiva’s belly and the death-subduing vidyā)
यः पीत्वा कणधूमं वै सहस्रं शरदां पुरा । त्वया प्राप्ता वरा विद्या तस्याः कालोयमागतः
yaḥ pītvā kaṇadhūmaṃ vai sahasraṃ śaradāṃ purā | tvayā prāptā varā vidyā tasyāḥ kāloyamāgataḥ
かつて千の秋にわたり籾殻の煙を飲んだ者よ—汝が恩寵として得た勝れた聖なるヴィディヤー（vidyā）、いまこそその果が熟す時が来た。
Suta Goswami (narrating the dialogue of the Yuddhakhaṇḍa context)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Role: teaching
Cosmic Event: Long-duration tapas motif: ‘a thousand autumns’ as mythic time-span indicating extraordinary austerity and delayed fruition of boon/vidyā.
FAQs
It teaches that intense tapas and boon-granted spiritual knowledge (vidyā) bear fruit only when the divinely appointed time matures—highlighting Shiva’s governance of karma and grace (anugraha).
The verse implies that realized knowledge is not merely intellectual; through devotion and discipline directed to Saguna Shiva (often approached via Linga worship), the granted vidyā becomes effective when Shiva’s will aligns with the seeker’s ripened merit.
A takeaway is steadfast tapas with mantra-vidyā and disciplined sādhanā (japa and dhyāna), trusting that its siddhi manifests at the proper time—often supported in Shaiva practice by bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) and regular Shiva-pūjā.