Adhyaya 17: लिङ्गोद्भव—ब्रह्मविष्ण्वहङ्कार-शमनं, ओंकार-प्रादुर्भावः, मन्त्र-तत्त्वं च
किमर्थं भाषसे मोहाद् वक्तुमर्हसि सत्वरम् सो ऽपि मामाह जगतां कर्ताहमिति लोकय
kimarthaṃ bhāṣase mohād vaktumarhasi satvaram so 'pi māmāha jagatāṃ kartāhamiti lokaya
“เหตุใดจึงพูดด้วยความหลง? จงกล่าวสิ่งที่ควรกล่าวโดยเร็วเถิด” แล้วเขาก็กล่าวกับข้าพเจ้าด้วยว่า “โอ้ชาวโลก! เรานี่แหละคือผู้สร้างโลกทั้งปวง”
Sūta (narrating an internal dispute-dialogue in the Linga’s manifestation episode, commonly involving Brahmā and Viṣṇu)
It frames the ego-driven claim of being “creator of the worlds,” which the Linga manifestation corrects by revealing Śiva as the transcendent Pati beyond rival claims—supporting Linga worship as surrender of ahaṅkāra.
By highlighting delusion (moha) and competing creator-claims, the narrative implies that true sovereignty over sṛṣṭi is not an egoic assertion but the supreme Śiva-tattva that later appears as the Linga, the unbounded source and measure of all.
The takeaway is inner discipline: Pāśupata-oriented vairāgya and removal of moha/ahaṅkāra, which prepares the paśu (soul) to recognize Pati (Śiva) and loosen pāśa (bondage).