Shloka 20
उत्तरदिग्देशस्थ-शिवलीङ्गमाहात्म्य
Māhātmya of Northern-Region Śiva-liṅgas
तदारान्मुक्तिनाथाख्यं शिवलिंगं महाद्भुतम् । दर्शनादर्चनात्तस्य भुक्तिर्मुक्तिश्च लभ्यते
tadārānmuktināthākhyaṃ śivaliṃgaṃ mahādbhutam | darśanādarcanāttasya bhuktirmuktiśca labhyate
তারপর সেখানে ‘মুক্তিনাথ’ নামে এক মহা-অদ্ভুত শিবলিঙ্গ আছে। তার দর্শন ও অর্চনা করলে ভুক্তি ও মুক্তি—উভয়ই লাভ হয়।
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Sthala Purana: A nearby (‘tadārāt’) wondrous liṅga named Muktinātha is proclaimed to grant both bhukti and mukti through darśana and arcana—an explicit pairing of worldly fruition and final release, typical of liṅga-māhātmya theology where Śiva’s grace operates at multiple levels of human aspiration.
Significance: Promises a twofold fruit: (1) bhukti—prosperity/fulfillment within dharma; (2) mukti—release from pāśa (bondage). This frames the kṣetra as a bridge from pravṛtti to nivṛtti.
Role: liberating
Offering: dipa
FAQs
It proclaims the Liṅga as a direct locus of Śiva’s grace: through darśana and arcana, the devotee receives both dharmic well-being (bhukti) and final release from bondage (mukti), aligning with Śiva as Pati who frees the paśu from pāśa.
The verse emphasizes Saguna upāsanā through the Śiva-liṅga—approaching the formless (Nirguṇa) Śiva via a sacred emblem accessible to devotion, pilgrimage, and temple worship.
Perform Liṅga-darśana and simple arcana—offering water, bilva leaves, and reciting Śiva mantras such as the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”)—as a focused bhakti practice aimed at both inner purification and liberation.