Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 56
पशुपाशपतिज्ञान-प्राप्तिः
Acquisition of Paśupati–Pāśa Knowledge
छादितश्च वियुक्तश्च शरीरैरेषु लक्ष्यते । चंद्रबिंबवदाकाशे तरलैरभ्रसंचयैः
chāditaśca viyuktaśca śarīraireṣu lakṣyate | caṃdrabiṃbavadākāśe taralairabhrasaṃcayaiḥ
ในหมู่ผู้มีร่างกายนี้ อาตมันปรากฏประหนึ่งถูกปกคลุมและประหนึ่งแยกออก—ดุจดวงจันทร์บนฟ้าที่บางคราวถูกเมฆหมู่ที่เคลื่อนไหวปิดบัง บางคราวก็เผยให้เห็น.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Role: teaching
FAQs
It teaches that the soul’s radiance is not destroyed; it only appears obscured and divided due to the coverings of embodiment and bondage (pāśa), like the moon seeming hidden by passing clouds—pointing to Shiva (Pati) as the revealer of true knowledge.
Saguna Shiva worship—especially Linga-upāsanā—purifies the mind and loosens the ‘clouds’ of mala and karma, making the ever-present consciousness more clearly realized; the form guides the devotee toward the formless truth Shiva signifies.
Meditate on the witnessing Self while repeating the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and maintaining purity with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa; these support steadiness so the ‘clouds’ of distraction and impurity thin out.