श्वेतमुनिना कालस्य निग्रहः (मृत्युञ्जय-भक्ति-प्रसादः)
सिंहनादं महत्कृत्वा चास्फाट्य च मुहुर्मुहुः बबन्ध च मुनिं कालः कालप्राप्तं तमाह च
siṃhanādaṃ mahatkṛtvā cāsphāṭya ca muhurmuhuḥ babandha ca muniṃ kālaḥ kālaprāptaṃ tamāha ca
مُطلقًا زئيرًا عظيمًا كزئير الأسد، ومُصفِّقًا بأصابعه مرارًا وتكرارًا، قيّد كالا (الزمن) الحكيمَ؛ ثم خاطبه—وقد بلغته ساعته المقدّرة—كالا بكلامه.
Suta Goswami (narrating the episode to the sages at Naimisharanya)
It frames Kāla (Time) as a binding force (pāśa) over the embodied pashu; Linga-worship is implied as the refuge in Pati (Shiva/Mahākāla), who alone transcends and masters Time.
By highlighting Kāla’s power to bind, the narrative points to Shiva-tattva as the higher principle—Mahākāla/Pāśupati—who is not bound by time and is the liberator of the soul from temporal limitation.
The takeaway aligns with Pāśupata orientation: cultivate detachment (vairāgya) and steady Shiva-remembrance (smaraṇa) so the pashu is not overwhelmed by Kāla, recognizing Time as pāśa and Shiva as the sole pāśa-bhedaka (cutter of bonds).