Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 19
मन्वन्तर-कल्प-प्रश्नोत्तरम् / Discourse on Manvantaras, Kalpas, and Re-creation
नापश्यत्स तदा किंचित्स्वात्मनो व्यतिरेकि यत् । सविस्मय इवासीनः परां चिंतामुपागमत्
nāpaśyatsa tadā kiṃcitsvātmano vyatireki yat | savismaya ivāsīnaḥ parāṃ ciṃtāmupāgamat
Damals erblickte er nichts, was von seinem eigenen Selbst getrennt gewesen wäre. Wie vom Staunen getroffen sitzend, ging er darauf in eine tiefe Betrachtung ein.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā discourse to the sages)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Role: teaching
Cosmic Event: pralaya-like undifferentiated condition implied (no perceived otherness)
FAQs
It points to the dawning of higher knowledge where all perceived separateness falls away, and the seeker turns inward into deep contemplation—an orientation central to Shaiva liberation where Pati (Shiva) is realized as the innermost reality beyond limiting bonds.
Linga worship trains the mind to gather into one-pointedness; as devotion matures, the worshipper recognizes that Shiva is not merely an external form but the very Self within—so Saguna worship culminates in inner realization without denying the sacred symbol.
A practical takeaway is silent dhyāna after japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya): sit steadily, withdraw attention from outward differences, and rest in Shiva-remembrance; Tripuṇḍra and Rudrākṣa may be worn as supports for sustained focus.