Varaha-Pradurbhava Context: Prahlada’s Bhakti, Narasimha’s Ugra-Form, and Shiva’s Sharabha Intervention
द्विजशापच्छलेनैवम् अवतीर्णो ऽसि लीलया न दृष्टं यत्त्वदन्यं हि भवान् सर्वं चराचरम्
dvijaśāpacchalenaivam avatīrṇo 'si līlayā na dṛṣṭaṃ yattvadanyaṃ hi bhavān sarvaṃ carācaram
Demikianlah, dengan dalih sumpahan seorang brāhmaṇa, Engkau turun ke sini dalam kebebasan līlā. Tiada sesuatu pun selain Engkau; sesungguhnya Engkaulah segala yang bergerak dan segala yang tidak bergerak.
Suta Goswami (narrating an internal eulogy addressed to Shiva within the Purana’s dialogue frame)
It grounds Linga-worship in non-dual Shaiva insight: the Linga signifies Pati (Shiva) as the all-pervading reality—nothing exists outside Him—so worship becomes recognition of Shiva in all chara–achara.
Shiva is presented as the totality of existence—both manifest (moving beings) and unmanifest/steady (immobile reality). His ‘descent’ is not compulsion but līlā, a freely assumed manifestation that does not limit His supremacy.
The implied Pāśupata-oriented takeaway is Shiva-darśana: training the mind to perceive all phenomena as Pati’s manifestation, loosening pāśa (bondage) on the paśu (individual soul) through devotion and contemplative recognition.