अघोरस्य प्रादुर्भावः कुमारकचतुष्टयं च योगमार्गः
स तं दृष्ट्वा महात्मानम् अघोरं घोरविक्रमम् ववन्दे देवदेवेशम् अद्भुतं कृष्णपिङ्गलम्
sa taṃ dṛṣṭvā mahātmānam aghoraṃ ghoravikramam vavande devadeveśam adbhutaṃ kṛṣṇapiṅgalam
Melihat Mahātman itu—Aghora pada hakikatnya namun berwibawa dahsyat—dia pun bersujud kepada Devadeveśa, Tuhan para dewa, Yang Ajaib, berwajah gelap namun berkilau dengan sinar keemasan kekuningan.
Suta Goswami (narrating the episode to the sages of Naimisharanya)
It establishes the primary bhava of Linga-upasana—humble surrender (vandana) to Pati (Shiva), the Devadevesha—by first receiving darshana and responding with reverence, which is foundational to all puja and pratishtha.
Shiva is portrayed as Aghora (intrinsically auspicious and beyond fear) while also ghoravikrama (terrible in power to dissolve pasha/bondage), indicating the same Supreme Reality that grants grace and also annihilates ignorance.
The practice is vandana/namaskara—devotional prostration and inner surrender—an essential limb of Shaiva sadhana that aligns the pashu (soul) toward Pati and prepares one for deeper Pashupata discipline and mantra-japa.