Lord Siva appeared in my dream with a small lightning bolt

It is a memory I hold dear to my heart. Years before I read the _Mahabharata_, I had a strange and vivid dream in which Lord Shiv appeared with a small lightning bolt. Why did I have such a dream? I asked myself. What could it possibly mean? It wasn't until much later, in my early twenties, that I chanced upon the Shakuntalam written by the _Maha_Kavi Kalidas when I read the verse that echoed my dream:<br><br>The smell of this lotus blooming in the lake was carried by the winds to Rama's palace. Enchanted by the smell, Sita was overwhelmed with desire and wished to see the flower floating in the lake. Rama plucked the lotus, and offered it to Sita. With her consent, he went to the forest to make some offerings to the gods. And it was there that Parvati appeared with a small lightning bolt in the hope of killing Sita. Rama was worried and asked, "Who is she?" Parvati replied that she was the goddess of the gods. Rama told her, "I am the Lord of the Universe, and my wife Sita is the lustre of the gods. She is the one who has given me life. No one is worthy of killing her. Go and find someone else to kill. Why do you want to kill my wife?"<br><br>Parvati replied, "I was created to kill you, Rama. What business do I have to kill anyone else?" Rama replied, "I am eternal. No one can kill me." Parvati thought that Rama was lying when he said that he was eternal. In her delusion, she took her lightning bolt to kill Rama. Without moving a single muscle, Rama caught the lightning bolt with his left hand, and crushed it. Parvati was terrified in her heart, and thought, "This is Rama, who was born in the House of Dasaratha. No one can match him. That is why He is considered the Lord of Gods". She said to Rama, "You are none other than Hari, the Lord of Gods in my opinion". Rama replied, "I am neither Hari nor Siva. I am Sriman Narayana. All of you are my Vibhutis". Rama then revealed His Narayana Roopam. Parvati and Siva were astounded by seeing the Roopam. They asked for forgiveness because they had come to kill Him. Rama forgave them, and said, "I am pleased by your worship. Ask a boon from me!" Parvati asked Rama to kill Ravana, the ten-headed monster who had become too powerful and arrogant. Rama accepted her request, and said, "I shall kill him."<br><br>When I read this verse in Shakuntalam, I burst into tears remembering my dream, and felt grateful to know that Rama was the Supreme God over all the other gods, including Siva and Parvati. It was a spiritual awakening that changed the course of my life. I had been searching for answers for so long, and the verse in Shakuntalam brought me closure. It reminded me of the indelible mark of Hinduism in my life, and the divine presence that guides me through life's journey. I will always cherish this verse, and the vivid dream that seemed to have foretold the indelible mark that Hinduism would leave in my life.