Adhyaya 79 — Bhakti-Mahima and Linga-Archana-Vidhi
Condensed Ritual Sequence
श्रुत्वानुमोदयेच्चापि स याति परमां गतिम् यो दद्याद् घृतदीपं च सकृल्लिङ्गस्य चाग्रतः
śrutvānumodayeccāpi sa yāti paramāṃ gatim yo dadyād ghṛtadīpaṃ ca sakṛlliṅgasya cāgrataḥ
مَن سَمِعَ هذا فحسبُ وأبدى موافقةً مقرونةً بالتبجيل نالَ المقامَ الأعلى. فكيف بمن قدَّم ولو مرّةً واحدةً سراجَ السمنِ المصفّى (ghṛta) أمام اللِّنگا (Liṅga)؟ إنّه يبلغ الغايةَ العظمى، ويقترب من پَتي (شِڤا)، وتسترخي قيودُ پاشا (pāśa) التي تُوثِقُ پاشو (النفسَ الفردية).
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)
It elevates even simple participation—hearing and reverently approving—as spiritually potent, and declares that offering a single ghee-lamp before the Liṅga yields supreme merit leading toward the highest gati (liberative attainment) through Śiva-bhakti.
Śiva is implied as Pati, the supreme goal (paramā gati) and the liberator: devotion directed to the Liṅga draws the paśu toward Him and diminishes pāśa (bondage), aligning with the Shaiva Siddhānta triad of Pati–Paśu–Pāśa.
Deepa-dāna (offering a ghee lamp) before the Śiva-Liṅga is highlighted as a concise, high-merit pūjā act; it supports inner purification that complements Pāśupata-oriented discipline by orienting the mind toward Śiva.