अध्याय ९६: शरभ-प्रादुर्भावः, नृसिंह-दर्पशमनम्, विष्णोः शिवस्तुतिः, फलश्रुति
स्थित्यर्थेन च युक्तो ऽसि परेण परमेष्ठिना जन्तुचक्रं भगवता रक्षितं मत्स्यरूपिणा
sthityarthena ca yukto 'si pareṇa parameṣṭhinā jantucakraṃ bhagavatā rakṣitaṃ matsyarūpiṇā
اے مَادھو! پرم پرمیشٹھھی نے جگت کی بقا و استحکام کے لیے آپ کو قوت بخشی ہے۔ مچھلی کے روپ والے بھگوان نے پہلے جانداروں کے پورے چکر کی حفاظت کی تھی۔
Suta Goswami (narrating an internal praise/instruction regarding divine preservation)
It frames preservation (stithi) as the Lord’s deliberate function: Linga worship aligns the devotee (pashu) with Pati’s sustaining grace that protects the whole jantu-chakra.
Shiva-tattva is indicated as the supreme Ordainer who empowers cosmic functions; even when protection is described through an avatara-form, it is ultimately grounded in the Supreme Lord’s anugraha and sovereignty.
The takeaway is stithi-bhavana in Pashupata-oriented sadhana: meditating on the Lord as protector of embodied beings, reinforcing surrender (śaraṇāgati) and steadiness in daily Shiva-puja.