Adhyaya 34: भस्ममहात्म्यं—अग्नीषोमात्मक-शिवतत्त्वं तथा पाशुपतव्रतप्रशंसा
तस्माद्भस्म महाभागा मद्वीर्यमिति चोच्यते स्ववीर्यं वपुषा चैव धारयामीति वै स्थितिः
tasmādbhasma mahābhāgā madvīryamiti cocyate svavīryaṃ vapuṣā caiva dhārayāmīti vai sthitiḥ
それゆえ、幸い多き者たちよ、この聖なる灰は「我がヴィールヤ(vīrya)、我が威力」と呼ばれる。定まった真理はこうである――「我は我が力を、我が身そのものの内に保ち支える」。
Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s doctrine within the Bhasma context)
It declares bhasma (vibhuti) to be Shiva’s own vīrya, making bhasma-dhāraṇa a direct Shaiva mark of consecration and a reminder that the Linga’s power is Shiva’s self-existent potency.
Shiva is presented as Pati—the self-sustaining Lord—who bears and upholds his own śakti/virya without dependence, implying sovereign, self-established divinity beyond pasha-bound limitation.
Bhasma-dhāraṇa (applying sacred ash) is implied as a Shaiva observance aligned with Pashupata discipline—internalizing dispassion and identifying the pashu (soul) with the protection and power of Pati (Shiva).