Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 44
पाशुपतज्ञानप्रश्नः — Inquiry into Pāśupata Knowledge
Paśu–Pāśa–Paśupati
आज्ञाबलात्तस्य धरा स्थितेह धराधरा वारिधराः समुद्राः । ज्योतिर्गणाः शक्रमुखाश्च देवाः स्थिरं चिरं वा चिदचिद्यदस्ति
ājñābalāttasya dharā sthiteha dharādharā vāridharāḥ samudrāḥ | jyotirgaṇāḥ śakramukhāśca devāḥ sthiraṃ ciraṃ vā cidacidyadasti
By the sheer power of His command, the earth abides here; the mountains, the cloud-bearers, and the oceans remain in their stations. The hosts of luminaries and the gods headed by Indra also endure. Whatever exists—whether conscious or unconscious—stands firm for long, upheld by that sovereign Lord (Pati).
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
FAQs
It declares Shiva as Pati—the supreme Lord whose will upholds both the sentient (cit) and insentient (acit) worlds, teaching that stability in creation comes from divine sovereignty, not mere material causation.
The Linga is revered as the sign of Shiva’s all-pervading lordship; worshipping Saguna Shiva through the Linga trains the mind to recognize that all cosmic order—gods, oceans, mountains, and beings—rests on His governing presence.
Meditate on Shiva as the inner ruler (antaryāmin) while repeating the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” offering water (jalābhisheka) to the Linga as a symbol that even oceans and clouds move by His command.