Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 5
लिङ्गपूजनसंक्षेपः
Concise Teaching on Liṅga Worship / Śiva-arcana-vidhi
तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तेषां शर्मदं श्रुतिसंमतम् । उवाच सकलं प्रीत्या मुनि प्रश्नानुसारतः
tacchrutvā vacanaṃ teṣāṃ śarmadaṃ śrutisaṃmatam | uvāca sakalaṃ prītyā muni praśnānusārataḥ
Nachdem er ihre Worte vernommen hatte—friedenspendend und den Veden gemäß—sprach der Weise voller Freude ausführlich und antwortete entsprechend ihren Fragen.
The sage (muni), narrating in response to the assembled inquirers (contextually within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa: Brahmā as the instructing sage to the questioners).
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Sthala Purana: No jyotirliṅga linkage; the verse legitimizes the teaching as śruti-saṃmata (Veda-congruent), a common Purāṇic strategy to authorize ritual instruction.
Significance: Frames Śiva-arcana as a śāstra-sanctioned path yielding śarma (peace/welfare), i.e., the fruit of right worship leading toward Śiva’s grace.
Role: teaching
FAQs
It affirms that authentic Shaiva teaching should be śruti-saṁmata (aligned with Vedic truth) and transmitted through humble inquiry and a compassionate teacher, making the instruction śarmada—peace-giving and spiritually stabilizing.
By stressing Veda-consistent instruction given in response to sincere questions, it frames Linga/Saguna Shiva worship as a disciplined, scripturally grounded path learned through proper guidance rather than mere sentiment.
Śravaṇa (devout listening) and praśna (reverent inquiry) are implied as core practices; approached with prīti (joyful devotion), they support mantra-japa (such as the Panchākṣarī) and steady contemplation.