श्वेतमुनिना कालस्य निग्रहः (मृत्युञ्जय-भक्ति-प्रसादः)
प्रसादे नैव सा भक्तिः शिवे परमकारणे अथ तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा सर्वे ते परमर्षयः
prasāde naiva sā bhaktiḥ śive paramakāraṇe atha tasya vacaḥ śrutvā sarve te paramarṣayaḥ
Tanpa prasāda-Nya, bhakti itu tidak bangkit kepada Śiva, Sang Sebab Tertinggi. Lalu setelah mendengar sabdanya, semua paramarṣi itu (menyetujuinya/menanggapi).
Suta Goswami (narrating the teaching and its reception by the sages)
It establishes that true Shiva-bhakti—central to Linga-puja—arises primarily through Śiva’s prasāda (grace), not merely through external ritual, reinforcing devotion as grace-enabled worship of Pati.
Śiva is identified as the parama-kāraṇa, the Supreme Cause (Pati), implying He is the ultimate source and liberator; devotion to Him is not a self-generated act of the pashu but awakened through His favor.
The verse highlights the Shaiva principle behind Pashupata discipline: practice and worship mature into effective realization only when Śiva’s prasāda descends, making sādhanā fruitful.