अग्नित्रय-पितृवंश-रुद्रसृष्टि-वैराग्योपदेशः
ये शंकराश्रिताः सर्वे मुच्यन्ते ते न संशयः न गच्छन्त्येव नरकं पापिष्ठा अपि दारुणम्
ye śaṃkarāśritāḥ sarve mucyante te na saṃśayaḥ na gacchantyeva narakaṃ pāpiṣṭhā api dāruṇam
Tous ceux qui prennent refuge en Śaṅkara sont assurément délivrés : il n’y a aucun doute. Même s’ils sont plongés dans de lourds péchés, ils ne vont pas au terrible enfer, car le refuge en le Pati (Śiva) tranche les liens de pāśa qui enchaînent le paśu (l’âme).
Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana teaching to the sages of Naimisharanya)
It establishes the core Shaiva principle that śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) in Śiva is itself liberative; Linga-worship becomes effective when performed with surrender to Pati, not merely as external ritual.
Śiva is presented as Pati—the supreme Lord whose grace overrides karmic downfall, severing the paśu’s bondage (pāśa) and protecting the devotee from naraka through liberating compassion.
The practice implied is śaraṇāgati-bhakti (refuge and devotion) as the inner limb of Pashupata-oriented discipline; it is the decisive yogic orientation that transforms karma’s trajectory.