Śivasaṃhitā 1.32

Direct vision of the ātman as the culmination of all yogic effort. The verse positions scriptural instruction—hearing, reflecting, contemplating—not as ends in themselves, but as preparation for a direct experience that transcends words. The śruti points the way, but the goal lies beyond the text.

The formula draṣṭavyaḥ (must be seen) points to direct vision of the ātman, not mere intellectual knowledge. The implicit reference to Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad II.4.5 chains four progressive acts: śravaṇa (hearing), manana (reflecting), nididhyāsana (meditating), and finally, direct vision.

The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, from which this teaching comes, is one of the most venerated Vedāntic texts. The Śivasaṃhitā integrates the Upaniṣadic tradition here within Śiva’s Tantric framework, reminding us that bookish knowledge without direct realization does not liberate.