Adhyaya 22 — शिवानुग्रहः, ब्रह्मतपः, एकादशरुद्राः तथा प्राणतत्त्वम्
तावूचतुर्महात्मानौ संनिरीक्ष्य परस्परम् भगवान् किं तु यत्ते ऽद्य न विज्ञानं त्वया विभो
tāvūcaturmahātmānau saṃnirīkṣya parasparam bhagavān kiṃ tu yatte 'dya na vijñānaṃ tvayā vibho
そのとき二人の大いなる魂は互いに見つめ合い、こう言った。「おお、福徳具足の主よ。されど今日、遍く行き渡る御方よ、この真実の識別が、なぜあなたには得られていないのですか。」
Two great beings (likely Brahma and Vishnu within Suta’s narration)
It frames the central Purāṇic theme that mere power or status is insufficient without vijñāna—right recognition of Pati (Śiva) as the supreme reality, which Linga-worship is meant to awaken.
By addressing the Lord as “Vibhu” (all-pervading), it implies Shiva-tattva as omnipresent and transcendent, not grasped by ordinary cognition; true realization (vijñāna) is required to know Him as Pati beyond pasha-bound limitation.
The verse highlights jñāna/vijñāna as the inner limb of practice—aligned with Pāśupata orientation—where worship and austerity must culminate in discriminative realization that frees the pashu from pasha through recognition of Pati.