Shloka 2
Adhyaya 71: पुरत्रयवृत्तान्तः—ब्रह्मवरदानम्, मयकृतत्रिपुर-निर्माणम्, विष्णुमाया-धर्मविघ्नः, शिवस्तुति, त्रिपुरदाहोपक्रमः
कथं च पशवश्चासन् देवाः सब्रह्मकाः प्रभोः मयस्य तपसा पूर्वं सुदुर्गं निर्मितं पुरम्
kathaṃ ca paśavaścāsan devāḥ sabrahmakāḥ prabhoḥ mayasya tapasā pūrvaṃ sudurgaṃ nirmitaṃ puram
How, indeed, did the Devas—together with Brahmā—become as paśus (bound souls) before the Lord? And how was that exceedingly impregnable city earlier constructed by Māyā through the power of his austerities?
Suta Goswami (narrating the sages’ line of questioning within the Linga Purana narrative)
FAQs
It frames the key Shaiva Siddhanta premise behind Linga worship: even exalted beings like the Devas (with Brahmā) can be ‘pashu’ when bound by pasha, so refuge in Pati—Shiva, worshiped as the Linga—is essential for liberation and true sovereignty.
By contrasting the Devas’ ‘pashu’ status with ‘Prabhu’ (the Lord), it implies Shiva as Pati—transcendent ruler and liberator—before whom all limited beings remain conditioned, regardless of rank.
The verse highlights tapas (austerity) as a potent force—here used by Maya to build a fortress—implicitly teaching that tapas and yogic power must be oriented toward Shiva (Pati) rather than toward strengthening bondage or worldly fortifications.