Adhyaya 17: लिङ्गोद्भव—ब्रह्मविष्ण्वहङ्कार-शमनं, ओंकार-प्रादुर्भावः, मन्त्र-तत्त्वं च
सबाह्याभ्यन्तरं चैव सबाह्याभ्यन्तरस्थितम् आदिमध्यान्तरहितम् आनन्दस्यापि कारणम्
sabāhyābhyantaraṃ caiva sabāhyābhyantarasthitam ādimadhyāntarahitam ānandasyāpi kāraṇam
Ang Kataas-taasan ay kapwa panlabas at panloob, at nananahan bilang katotohanang nasa loob ng lahat ng nasa labas at nasa loob. Wala Siyang simula, gitna, o wakas—Siya ang sanhi at saligan ng kaligayahang banal (ānanda).
Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga’s supreme nature within the Purva-Bhaga discourse)
It frames the Linga as the sign (liṅga) of Pati—Shiva who pervades both the outer cosmos and the inner self—so worship is not mere external ritual but recognition of the same reality within and without.
Shiva-tattva is described as all-pervading (inside and outside), transcending time and limitation (without beginning, middle, or end), and as the causal ground of ānanda—bliss that arises when Pashu’s bondage (pāśa) is loosened by grace and knowledge.
The verse supports a Pashupata-style inner-outer discipline: external Linga-puja aligned with inward contemplation of Shiva as the indweller, cultivating steady awareness of Pati beyond temporal divisions.