Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 26
शिवदूतस्य शङ्खचूडकुलप्रवेशः — The Śiva-Envoy’s Entry into Śaṅkhacūḍa’s City
हरेर्विधेश्च स स्वामी निर्गुणस्सगुणस्स हि । यस्य भ्रूभंगमात्रेण सर्वेषां प्रलयो भवेत्
harervidheśca sa svāmī nirguṇassaguṇassa hi | yasya bhrūbhaṃgamātreṇa sarveṣāṃ pralayo bhavet
祂确是哈利（毗湿奴）与毗提（梵天）之上的主宰。祂既为离相无德（nirguṇa），亦为具相有德（saguṇa）。唯以眉间一蹙，便可令一切众生趋于大毁灭（pralaya）。
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Shiva Purana account to the sages, presenting the supremacy of Śiva in the Yuddhakhaṇḍa context)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Rudra
Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara
Sthala Purana: Mahākāla as the Lord of Time: the jyotirliṅga signifies Śiva’s mastery over kāla and pralaya; the verse’s ‘bhrūbhaṅga-mātra’ motif aligns with time-dissolution imagery.
Significance: Meditation on Mahākāla dispels fear of death/time and reorients the soul (paśu) toward the transcendent Pati who alone governs pralaya.
Type: stotra
Role: destructive
Cosmic Event: pralaya (cosmic dissolution)
FAQs
The verse establishes Śiva as Pati—the supreme Lord who transcends all qualities (nirguṇa) yet compassionately assumes forms and qualities (saguṇa) for the world. It teaches that creation, preservation, and dissolution ultimately rest in Śiva’s sovereignty, guiding the seeker to take refuge in Him for liberation.
Because Śiva is both nirguṇa and saguṇa, the Linga functions as a sacred bridge: it is a form suited for devotion and ritual while pointing to the formless Absolute. Worship of the Linga honors Śiva’s manifest presence without denying His transcendence beyond attributes.
Contemplate Śiva as both formless and manifest while repeating the Pañcākṣarī mantra ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") during Linga-dhyāna. As a practical takeaway, maintain reverence (bhakti) and inner restraint, remembering that the Lord who dissolves the cosmos also dissolves bondage when meditated upon with steadiness.