Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 13
Śiva’s Freedom from Bondage and His Cosmic Support (शिवस्य अबन्धत्वं तथा सर्वाधिष्ठानत्वम्)
अंबिकापतिरीशानः पिनाकी वृषवाहनः । एको रुद्रः परं ब्रह्म पुरुषः कृष्णपिंगलः
aṃbikāpatirīśānaḥ pinākī vṛṣavāhanaḥ | eko rudraḥ paraṃ brahma puruṣaḥ kṛṣṇapiṃgalaḥ
Il est Īśāna, le Seigneur et l’époux d’Ambikā ; le porteur de l’arc Pināka, et Celui qui monte le taureau. Lui seul est Rudra—le Brahman Suprême, le Purusha transcendant—au teint sombre, irradiant d’une lueur fauve.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Sthala Purana: Not a site-specific Jyotirliṅga passage; it functions as a pan-Śaiva identification of Śiva as the sole Rudra and Para-brahman, applicable as a doctrinal preface to any liṅga-kṣetra.
Significance: Establishes the doctrinal fruit of darśana: recognizing Śiva as the supreme Pati (Para-brahman) is itself the ground for liberation-oriented worship.
Mantra: अंबिकापतिरीशानः पिनाकी वृषवाहनः । एको रुद्रः परं ब्रह्म पुरुषः कृष्णपिंगलः
Type: stotra
Shakti Form: Ambikā
Role: nurturing
FAQs
It identifies Śiva as Pati—the one Supreme Lord—who is simultaneously the personal deity with attributes (consort of Ambikā, bearer of Pināka, rider of the bull) and the transcendental Absolute (Param Brahma). In Shaiva Siddhanta, this affirms that liberation comes by His grace when the soul turns toward Him through devotion and right knowledge.
By naming Śiva with concrete forms and emblems (Vrishavahana, Pinaki, Ishana), the verse supports saguna-upāsanā—devotional worship with form—while also declaring Him as Param Brahma, which the Liṅga uniquely symbolizes as the formless Reality manifested for worship.
A practical takeaway is nāma-japa and dhyāna: contemplate these epithets while repeating the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), visualizing Śiva as Ishana—bull-bannered and Pināka-bearing—yet inwardly as the one Param Brahma, seeking His grace for release from pāśa (bondage).