Adhyaya 71: पुरत्रयवृत्तान्तः—ब्रह्मवरदानम्, मयकृतत्रिपुर-निर्माणम्, विष्णुमाया-धर्मविघ्नः, शिवस्तुति, त्रिपुरदाहोपक्रमः
स्कन्दमालिङ्ग्य चाघ्राय नृत्य पुत्रेत्युवाच ह सो ऽपि लीलालसो बालो ननर्तार्तिहरः प्रभुः
skandamāliṅgya cāghrāya nṛtya putretyuvāca ha so 'pi līlālaso bālo nanartārtiharaḥ prabhuḥ
พระองค์ทรงโอบกอดสกันทะและดมศีรษะด้วยความรัก แล้วตรัสว่า “จงร่ายรำเถิด ลูกเอ๋ย” ครั้นแล้วกุมารผู้เปี่ยมลีลานั้น—พระสกันทะ ผู้เป็นเจ้าแห่งการขจัดทุกข์—ก็เริ่มร่ายรำ।
Suta Goswami (narrating the episode within the Purana’s internal story)
It highlights the compassionate, accessible nature of Pati (Shiva): the Lord who is worshiped as the Linga is not only transcendent but also intimate—bestowing grace through affectionate lila that removes the devotee’s ārtis (afflictions).
Shiva-tattva is shown as both sovereign (prabhu) and tenderly immanent: as Pati, he commands and blesses, and through mere presence and love he uplifts the pashu (bound soul) from pasha (sorrow and bondage).
The verse implicitly points to bhakti as a Pashupata-oriented discipline: surrender to the Lord’s will (“dance, my son”) and participation in sacred lila, which becomes a means of inner purification and removal of duḥkha.