दक्षयज्ञध्वंसः—वीरभद्रप्रेषणं, देवविष्ण्वोः पराजयः, पुनरनुग्रहः
वीरभद्रः समाधाय विशिरस्कमथाकरोत् ततः प्रजापतिं धर्मं कश्यपं च जगद्गुरुम्
vīrabhadraḥ samādhāya viśiraskamathākarot tataḥ prajāpatiṃ dharmaṃ kaśyapaṃ ca jagadgurum
Kemudian Vīrabhadra, setelah bersiap sedia, menghentam hingga mereka menjadi tanpa kepala; sesudah itu (dia menundukkan) Prajāpati Dharma dan Kaśyapa, guru seluruh jagat. Dengan daya gaṇa Tuhan, kesombongan yang lahir daripada yajña—yang mengikat paśu dalam pāśa—telah dihancurkan, lalu ditegakkan keunggulan Pati mengatasi segala kuasa ritual.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Daksha-yajna episode to the sages of Naimisharanya)
It shows that Shiva (Pati) is not constrained by external ritual (yajña); when worship becomes ego-driven, it turns into pāśa (bondage) for the paśu. True Linga-oriented devotion prioritizes surrender and inner purity over pride in rite and status.
Through Vīrabhadra—Shiva’s manifested gaṇa-force—Shiva-tattva is portrayed as the sovereign power that corrects cosmic disorder, humbles even Prajāpatis, and re-establishes dharmic alignment by removing the “head” of अहंकार (ego) that fuels bondage.
The implied Pāśupata teaching is ego-cutting discipline: transforming ritual into inner worship by abandoning self-importance (ahaṅkāra) and aligning action with devotion to Pati (Shiva), rather than mere sacrificial display.