Adhyaya 17: लिङ्गोद्भव—ब्रह्मविष्ण्वहङ्कार-शमनं, ओंकार-प्रादुर्भावः, मन्त्र-तत्त्वं च
समागतो मया सार्धं प्रणिपत्य महामनाः मायया मोहितः शंभोस् तस्थौ संविग्नमानसः
samāgato mayā sārdhaṃ praṇipatya mahāmanāḥ māyayā mohitaḥ śaṃbhos tasthau saṃvignamānasaḥ
Ngài đến cùng với ta và cúi mình đảnh lễ; bậc đại tâm ấy—bị Māyā của Śambhu làm mê hoặc—đứng đó với tâm trí bàng hoàng vì lo sợ.
Suta Goswami (narrating the internal episode)
It shows that even a “great-souled” being becomes unsettled under Śiva’s Māyā, implying that steadiness and right vision arise through surrender to Pati (Śiva) symbolized by the Linga, not through egoic power.
Śiva appears as Śambhu whose Māyā can veil and humble; as Pati, he alone governs the pasha (bondage) that confuses the pashu (finite soul), preparing the soul for grace and true knowledge.
The key practice is praṇipāta (humble prostration/surrender), a foundational stance for Pāśupata discipline—reducing ego and stabilizing the mind so it can move beyond māyika delusion toward Śiva-realization.