ध्यानयज्ञः, संसार-विष-निरूपणम्, पाशुपतयोगः, परा-अपरा विद्या, चतुर्वस्था-विचारः (अध्यायः ८६)
कर्तव्यं नास्ति विप्रेन्द्रा अस्ति चेत्तत्त्वविन्न च इह लोके परे चापि कर्तव्यं नास्ति तस्य वै
kartavyaṃ nāsti viprendrā asti cettattvavinna ca iha loke pare cāpi kartavyaṃ nāsti tasya vai
ഹേ വിപ്രേന്ദ്രന്മാരേ, തത്ത്വജ്ഞനു നിർബന്ധമായ കർത്തവ്യം ഒന്നും ശേഷിക്കുന്നില്ല. ഇഹലോകത്തിലായാലും പരലോകത്തിലായാലും, അവനു ‘ഇത് ചെയ്യേണ്ടതേ’ എന്ന ബദ്ധതയില്ല—ഇതുതന്നെ സത്യം.
Suta Goswami (narrating the doctrine as part of the Linga Purana’s Shaiva teaching to the sages of Naimisharanya)
It frames Linga-worship as a means to Shiva-tattva realization: when the devotee truly knows Pati (Shiva) and the nature of Pashu and Pāśa, ritual obligation no longer binds—worship becomes spontaneous devotion rather than compulsory karma.
By implying that tattva-jñāna dissolves binding duties, it points to Shiva as Pati—the liberating principle beyond karmic compulsion—through whose knowledge the soul (Pashu) is freed from bonds (Pāśa) in both worldly and post-worldly states.
The verse highlights the Pashupata trajectory from karma to jñāna: disciplined worship/observance culminates in tattva-jñāna, after which obligatory rites cease to be binding and the practitioner abides in liberated awareness.