Adhyaya 23: श्वेत-लोहित-पीत-कृष्ण-विश्व-कल्पेषु रुद्रस्वरूप-गायत्री-तत्त्ववर्णनम्
तत्र तत्पुरुषत्वेन विज्ञातो ऽहं त्वया पुनः तस्मात्तत्पुरुषत्वं वै ममैतत्कनकाण्डज
tatra tatpuruṣatvena vijñāto 'haṃ tvayā punaḥ tasmāttatpuruṣatvaṃ vai mamaitatkanakāṇḍaja
அங்கே நீ என்னை மீண்டும் ‘தத்புருஷ’ ரூபமாக அறிந்தாய்; ஆகவே, ஓ கனகாண்டஜ (பொன்னில் பிறந்தவனே), இந்த தத்புருஷத் தன்மை நிச்சயமாக என்னுடையதே.
Shiva (as Tatpuruṣa) addressing Brahma (Hiraṇyagarbha)
It frames Linga-upāsanā as recognition (pratyabhijñā) of Shiva as Pati through His manifest aspects—here, Tatpuruṣa—so worship is not merely ritual but right knowledge of the Lord’s presence.
Shiva affirms His Tatpuruṣa-bhāva as truly His own, emphasizing that the Supreme Pati can be known through defined aspects while remaining the transcendent ground of all manifestations.
The verse points primarily to jñāna-oriented upāsanā—discernment and recognition of Shiva’s aspect (Tatpuruṣa)—which supports Pāśupata sādhanā by weakening pasha through correct understanding of Pati.