Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 62
पशुपाशपतिज्ञान-प्राप्तिः
Acquisition of Paśupati–Pāśa Knowledge
स एष बध्यते पाशैः सुखदुःखाशनः पशुः । लीलासाधनभूतो य ईश्वरस्येति सूरयः
sa eṣa badhyate pāśaiḥ sukhaduḥkhāśanaḥ paśuḥ | līlāsādhanabhūto ya īśvarasyeti sūrayaḥ
ดวงชีพนี้คือ ‘ปศุ’ ผู้ถูกผูกด้วย ‘ปาศะ’ และเสวยสุขทุกข์ราวกับกินเข้าไป บัณฑิตกล่าวว่า เขานั่นเองเป็นเครื่องมือแห่งลีลาทิพย์ของพระอีศวร.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
FAQs
It summarizes the Shaiva Siddhanta triad: the jīva (paśu) is bound by pāśas (bondage such as karma, ignorance, and limitation) and therefore undergoes sukha and duḥkha; liberation arises when the soul turns to Pati (the Lord, Shiva) who alone can remove bondage.
By portraying the soul as bound and Shiva as the Lord (Īśvara/Pati), it supports Saguna worship—such as Linga-pūjā—as a practical means to gain grace, purify karmic bonds, and move from worldly experience toward Shiva-realization.
A direct takeaway is disciplined Shiva-upāsanā aimed at cutting pāśas: daily japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), Linga-abhiṣeka with a prayer for release from bondage, and steady meditation on Shiva as Pati beyond pleasure and pain.