SL 5 (Lord as Pashupathi )

സ്മൃതൗ ശാസ്ത്രേ വൈദ്യേ ശകുന-കവിതാ-ഗാന-ഫണിതൗ
പുരാണേ മന്ത്രേ വാ സ്തുതി-നടന-ഹാസ്യേശു-അചതുരഃ
കഥം രാജ്നാം പ്രീതിര്-ഭവതി മയി കോ(അ)ഹം പശു-പതേ
പശും മാം സര്വജ്ന പ്രഥിത-കൃപയാ പാലയ വിഭോ ||5||

स्मृतौ शास्त्रे वैद्ये शकुनकवितागानफणितौ
पुराणे मंत्रे वा स्तुतिनटनहास्येष्वचतुरः ।
कथं राज्ञां प्रीतिर्भवति मयि कोऽहं पशुपते
पशुं मां सर्वज्ञ! प्रथितकृपया पालय विभो॥||५॥
smṛtau śāstre vaidye śakuna-kavitā-gāna-phaṇitau
purāṇe mantre vā stuti-naṭana-hāsyeśu-acaturaḥ
kathaṃ rājnāṃ prītir-bhavati mayi ko(a)haṃ paśu-pate
paśuṃ māṃ sarvajna prathita-kṛpayā pālaya vibho ||5||

O Pashupathy, Lord of all beings! I am not proficient in Smritis, Sastras, in the art and science of healing, science of Omens, Poetry, music, Puranic lore in the science and art of mantras or in the flattery, dance or in witticiims. Therefore how can I please kings or nobles? O Lord of all beings, you are knowing, all pervading and your greatness is known far and wide, please have pity on me and protect me because I am ignorant being and do not know who I am.
Pashupathy Lord is the lord of all pashus. Pashu means the soul and the supreme sprit within. Here Adi Sankara is not appealing to the Lord for physical protection but appeals to Lord to lead the individual soul to the Supreme. Lord’s quality is His great compassion, no learning or other worldly qualifications of success are necessary to approach the Lord. What is necessary is only humility, a desire to know Him and steadfast devotion.
It is believed in Shiva Purana that any living being including humans that is in the clutches of his ego, desires, and ignorance is a considered an animal (pashu) and only Pashpathinath can relieve liberate them.

Pashupathi temple of Nepal

Pashupatinath temple situated on the banks of Bagmati river in Nepal dates back to 400 A.D.

It is believed that Shiva and Parvati once visited Earth and roamed around in a forest near Bagmati River. Amazed by the beauty of the site they decided to change themselves into deers and sport unknown in the surrounding forests. . The Gods and the sages later caught up with them and requested them to return to their celestial abode. Shiva protested and picked up a fight with them and in the fight Shiva lost one of his antlers, which later became the first lingam worshipped in Pashupatinath. Later this relic was lost. It is said that the wish-fulfilling cow Kamadhenu took shelter in a cave on the Chandravan mountain and everyday went down to the place where the lingam was sunken in the soil and poured her milk on top of the soil. After thousands of years a cowherd saw a cow pouring milk on that same spot every day, and out of curiosity removed the soil and found a beautiful shining lingam.

The linga has five faces depicting various avatars of Shiva each representing 5 primary elements, Sadyojata facing West, Vamadeva facing North, Tatpurusha facing East and Agori facing South and Ishan facing up