दारुवनलीला—नीललोहितपरीक्षा, ब्रह्मोपदेशः, अतिथिधर्मः, संन्यासक्रमः
इति श्रीलिङ्गमहापुराणे पूर्वभागे शिवार्चनतत्त्वसंख्यादिवर्णनं नामाष्टाविंशो ऽध्यायः सनत्कुमार उवाच इदानीं श्रोतुमिच्छामि पुरा दारुवने विभो प्रवृत्तं तद्वनस्थानां तपसा भावितात्मनाम्
iti śrīliṅgamahāpurāṇe pūrvabhāge śivārcanatattvasaṃkhyādivarṇanaṃ nāmāṣṭāviṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ sanatkumāra uvāca idānīṃ śrotumicchāmi purā dāruvane vibho pravṛttaṃ tadvanasthānāṃ tapasā bhāvitātmanām
Demikianlah dalam Liṅga Mahāpurāṇa, bahagian awal, bab kedua puluh lapan yang bernama “Huraian tentang prinsip-prinsip dan perincian bilangan dalam pemujaan Śiva.” Sanatkumāra berkata: “Wahai Tuhan, kini aku ingin mendengar peristiwa yang berlaku dahulu di Hutan Dāru, dalam kalangan penghuni rimba yang jiwanya dimurnikan oleh tapa.”
Sanatkumara
It frames the transition into a teaching on śivārcana-tattva (the principles of Śiva worship) by introducing the Daruvana episode—an authoritative narrative setting used to reveal how correct orientation to Pati (Śiva) matters more than mere external tapas.
By addressing Him as “Vibhu” (the all-pervading Lord), the verse signals Śiva as Pati—transcendent and immanent—toward whom even purified ascetics must turn for true release from pāśa (bondage).
Tapas (austerity) is highlighted as a preparatory discipline: it refines the antaḥkaraṇa (inner instrument), but the narrative implies that tapas must culminate in proper Śiva-bhakti and śivārcana aligned with Pāśupata orientation to the Lord.