Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 54
संध्याचरित्रवर्णनम् (Sandhyā-caritra-varṇanam) — “Narration of Sandhyā’s Austerity and Encounter with Śiva”
यदा त्वं दारुणं संध्ये तपश्चरसि पर्वते । यावच्चतुर्युगं तस्य व्यतीते तु कृते युगे
yadā tvaṃ dāruṇaṃ saṃdhye tapaścarasi parvate | yāvaccaturyugaṃ tasya vyatīte tu kṛte yuge
เมื่อท่านบำเพ็ญตบะอันเข้มกล้าบนภูเขา ณ กาลสนธิอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ยามรุ่งและยามสนธยา และเมื่อกาลสี่ยุคผ่านพ้นไป—แล้วในกฤตยุคที่ล่วงแล้ว ผลที่กำหนดไว้จักปรากฏแน่นอน।
Lord Shiva (addressing Sati in the Sati Khanda narrative, as relayed by Suta Goswami)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga episode; the verse frames Satī’s destined tapas across yuga-cycles as the karmic/daivic timing for later events in Dakṣa’s line.
Significance: General teaching: sandhyā-tapas and mountain-austerity as a means to ripen divine destiny and receive Śiva’s anugraha.
Shakti Form: Satī
Role: liberating
Cosmic Event: caturyuga-span / yuga-cycle timing (Kṛta-yuga reference)
FAQs
The verse highlights disciplined tapas at the sandhyā (dawn/dusk) as a powerful purifier of bondage (pāśa). In a Shaiva Siddhanta lens, such austerity ripens the soul (paśu) for Shiva’s grace (anugraha), indicating that spiritual fruition unfolds according to cosmic timing (yuga-dharma) as well as inner readiness.
Though the verse speaks directly of tapas, its devotional frame is Saguna Shiva—approaching the Lord through time-disciplined practice. In Shiva Purana practice, sandhyā worship commonly includes Linga-abhiṣeka, japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), and meditation, aligning austerity with concrete acts of Shiva-upāsanā.
A practical takeaway is sandhyā-sādhana: at dawn and dusk, sit in meditation, perform japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and, where applicable, worship Shiva with bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa as supports for steadiness and purity.