Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 46
अनुग्रह-स्वातन्त्र्य-प्रमाणविचारः | Inquiry into Pramāṇa, Divine Autonomy, and Grace
अयस्यग्नौ समाविष्टे दाहो ऽग्नेरेव नायसः । मूर्तात्मन्येवमैश्वर्यमीश्वरस्यैव नात्मनाम्
ayasyagnau samāviṣṭe dāho 'gnereva nāyasaḥ | mūrtātmanyevamaiśvaryamīśvarasyaiva nātmanām
Wird Eisen ins Feuer gelegt, so gehört das Brennen allein dem Feuer, nicht dem Eisen. Ebenso: Selbst wenn die Macht des Herrn in verkörperten Seelen erscheint, gehört diese Souveränität wahrhaft nur Īśvara, nicht den einzelnen Selbsten.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
FAQs
It teaches the Shaiva Siddhanta distinction between Pati (Shiva) and pashu (the soul): even if divine qualities seem to manifest in the soul, true lordship and independent power remain Shiva’s alone.
By affirming that sovereignty belongs only to Īśvara, it directs devotion toward Saguna Shiva (as worshipped in the Linga) as the real source of grace and liberation, rather than treating the limited self as inherently supreme.
Cultivate humble surrender (śaraṇāgati) through japa of the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” contemplating that the soul ‘glows’ only by Shiva’s presence, like iron heated by fire.