अयस्यग्नौ समाविष्टे दाहो ऽग्नेरेव नायसः । मूर्तात्मन्येवमैश्वर्यमीश्वरस्यैव नात्मनाम्
ayasyagnau samāviṣṭe dāho 'gnereva nāyasaḥ | mūrtātmanyevamaiśvaryamīśvarasyaiva nātmanām
Apabila besi dimasukkan ke dalam api, yang membakar itu milik api semata-mata, bukan milik besi. Demikian juga, walaupun kuasa Tuhan tampak dalam jiwa-jiwa berjasad, kedaulatan itu sesungguhnya milik Īśvara sahaja, bukan milik diri-diri individu.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
It teaches the Shaiva Siddhanta distinction between Pati (Shiva) and pashu (the soul): even if divine qualities seem to manifest in the soul, true lordship and independent power remain Shiva’s alone.
By affirming that sovereignty belongs only to Īśvara, it directs devotion toward Saguna Shiva (as worshipped in the Linga) as the real source of grace and liberation, rather than treating the limited self as inherently supreme.
Cultivate humble surrender (śaraṇāgati) through japa of the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” contemplating that the soul ‘glows’ only by Shiva’s presence, like iron heated by fire.