Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 98
अनुग्रह-स्वातन्त्र्य-प्रमाणविचारः | Inquiry into Pramāṇa, Divine Autonomy, and Grace
परोक्षमस्थिरं प्राहुरपरोक्षं तु सुस्थिरम् । हेतूपदेशगम्यं यत्तत्परोक्षं प्रचक्षते
parokṣamasthiraṃ prāhuraparokṣaṃ tu susthiram | hetūpadeśagamyaṃ yattatparokṣaṃ pracakṣate
പരോക്ഷജ്ഞാനം അസ്ഥിരമാണെന്നും അപരോക്ഷം സുസ്ഥിരമാണെന്നും അവർ പറയുന്നു. ഹേതുവും ഉപദേശവും വഴി ലഭിക്കുന്നതിനെ ‘പരോക്ഷം’ എന്നു വിളിക്കുന്നു।
Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s philosophical teaching in the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā context)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Role: teaching
FAQs
It distinguishes conceptual, second-hand knowledge from the steady liberating knowledge that arises as direct realization of Shiva; teachings and reasoning guide the seeker, but moksha becomes firm only with immediate spiritual experience.
Linga and saguna worship begin as guided practice based on instruction (paroksha), but their purpose is to mature devotion and concentration until Shiva is realized directly (aparoksha) as the inner Lord beyond mere concepts and symbols.
Use upadeśa as a support—steady japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with dhyāna on the Linga—so knowledge moves from intellectual certainty to direct inner realization.