नन्दिकेश्वरोत्पत्तिः — Nandikesvara’s Origin, Shiva’s Boons, and the Rise of Sacred Rivers
यदागतो ऽहमुटजं शिलादस्य महामुने तदा वै दैविकं रूपं त्यक्त्वा मानुष्यम् आस्थितः
yadāgato 'hamuṭajaṃ śilādasya mahāmune tadā vai daivikaṃ rūpaṃ tyaktvā mānuṣyam āsthitaḥ
Ô grand sage, lorsque je parvins à l’ermitage de Śilāda, je déposai ma forme divine et pris une condition humaine, afin que le Pati (le Seigneur) puisse être approché par les paśu (âmes liées) au moyen d’une pratique visible et disciplinée.
Shiva (speaking within Suta’s narration)
It shows Shiva’s anugraha (grace): by taking a human form, the transcendent Pati becomes approachable for devotees, making disciplined worship—especially Linga-upāsanā—practically attainable for paśus bound by pाशa.
Shiva-tattva is simultaneously transcendent and immanent: though divine by essence, Shiva can veil (tirodhāna) and reveal (anugraha) by adopting forms suited to the seeker, without diminishing His lordship as Pati.
The verse implies Pāśupata-oriented sādhanā: the Lord assumes an accessible form to teach vrata, mantra, and disciplined conduct that purifies the paśu and loosens pāśa, culminating in Shiva-realization.