श्वेतमुनिना कालस्य निग्रहः (मृत्युञ्जय-भक्ति-प्रसादः)
सिंहनादं महत्कृत्वा चास्फाट्य च मुहुर्मुहुः बबन्ध च मुनिं कालः कालप्राप्तं तमाह च
siṃhanādaṃ mahatkṛtvā cāsphāṭya ca muhurmuhuḥ babandha ca muniṃ kālaḥ kālaprāptaṃ tamāha ca
เขาคำรามดุจสิงห์อย่างยิ่งใหญ่ และดีดนิ้วซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่า กาละจึงมัดฤๅษีไว้; แล้วกาละก็กล่าวกับผู้นั้น ผู้ซึ่งถึงคราวกำหนดแล้ว
Suta Goswami (narrating the episode to the sages at Naimisharanya)
It frames Kāla (Time) as a binding force (pāśa) over the embodied pashu; Linga-worship is implied as the refuge in Pati (Shiva/Mahākāla), who alone transcends and masters Time.
By highlighting Kāla’s power to bind, the narrative points to Shiva-tattva as the higher principle—Mahākāla/Pāśupati—who is not bound by time and is the liberator of the soul from temporal limitation.
The takeaway aligns with Pāśupata orientation: cultivate detachment (vairāgya) and steady Shiva-remembrance (smaraṇa) so the pashu is not overwhelmed by Kāla, recognizing Time as pāśa and Shiva as the sole pāśa-bhedaka (cutter of bonds).