Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 36
शिवस्य परापरब्रह्मस्वरूपनिर्णयः / Determination of Śiva as Higher and Lower Brahman
यावत्पशुर्नैव पश्यत्यनीशं १ पुराणं भुवनस्येशितारम् । तावद्दुःखे वर्तते बद्धपाशः संसारे ऽस्मिञ्चक्रनेमिक्रमेण
yāvatpaśurnaiva paśyatyanīśaṃ 1 purāṇaṃ bhuvanasyeśitāram | tāvadduḥkhe vartate baddhapāśaḥ saṃsāre 'smiñcakranemikrameṇa
బద్ధమైన పశువు (జీవుడు) అనాది ఈశ్వరుడైన పురాణ పురుషుడిని, లోకాల అధిపతిని దర్శించనంతవరకు, పాశబద్ధుడై దుఃఖంలోనే ఉంటాడు; ఈ సంసారంలో చక్రనేమి గమనంలా మళ్లీ మళ్లీ తిరుగుతాడు।
Suta Goswami (narrating Shaiva Siddhanta teaching on paśu–pāśa–pati to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Sthala Purana: Not a jyotirliṅga narrative; it is a doctrinal statement of bondage: until paśu beholds Pati, pāśa keeps the soul rotating in saṃsāra.
Significance: Didactic: motivates darśana/jñāna of Paśupati; without it, the pilgrim remains on the ‘wheel-rim’ of repetitive births.
FAQs
It states the Shaiva Siddhanta principle that suffering continues as long as the paśu (individual soul) does not directly realize Pati—Shiva, the independent and primordial Lord; realization breaks the logic of bondage and ends cyclic sorrow.
The verse points to ‘seeing’ the Lord who rules the worlds; in practice, devotees approach this realization through saguna upāsanā such as Shiva-Linga worship, which steadies devotion and knowledge until the bound soul recognizes Shiva as the inner Lord.
A practical takeaway is steady Shiva-upāsanā—japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with dhyāna on Shiva as the world-ruler—aimed at transforming mere belief into direct insight that cuts the pāśa (bond).