Adhyaya 8: Yogasthanas, Ashtanga Yoga, Pranayama-Siddhi, and Shiva-Dhyana leading to Samadhi
भ्रमणं स्वेदजन्या सा संविन्मूर्छा भवेद्यदा तदोत्तमोत्तमः प्रोक्तः प्राणायामः सुशोभनः
bhramaṇaṃ svedajanyā sā saṃvinmūrchā bhavedyadā tadottamottamaḥ proktaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ suśobhanaḥ
Apabila timbul pengsan kesedaran—disertai pening dan peluh yang lahir daripada amalan—maka prāṇāyāma itu diisytiharkan sebagai yang paling unggul daripada yang unggul, bercahaya dengan pencapaiannya.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana’s yogic teaching to the sages of Naimisharanya)
It frames prāṇāyāma as an internal limb of Shiva-upāsanā: refining prāṇa and mind so the pashu becomes fit for Linga-centered contemplation, moving from outer ritual toward inner union with Pati (Shiva).
By pointing to a consciousness-swoon (saṃvinmūrchā), it implies that the highest approach to Shiva is through intensified awareness that transcends ordinary mentation—where the soul tastes a still, radiant state aligned with Shiva’s pure consciousness.
Prāṇāyāma in the Pāśupata-oriented discipline—where strong physiological signs (sweat, dizziness) and altered awareness are treated as markers of intensified breath-restraint and inward absorption.