Shloka 1
Liṅga-pratiṣṭhāvidhiḥ — Installation Standards and Auspicious Parameters for Liṅga Worship
ऋषय ऊचुः । कथं लिंगं प्रतिष्ठाप्यं कथं वातस्य लक्षणम् । कथं वा तत्समभ्यर्च्यं देशे काले च केन हि
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kathaṃ liṃgaṃ pratiṣṭhāpyaṃ kathaṃ vātasya lakṣaṇam | kathaṃ vā tatsamabhyarcyaṃ deśe kāle ca kena hi
Die Weisen sprachen: „Wie ist der Śiva-Liṅga ordnungsgemäß zu installieren? Welche Kennzeichen hat das heilige Gelübde (vrata) und seine rechten Observanzen? Und wie ist jener Liṅga zu verehren—durch wen, und nach welchem Ort und welcher Zeit?“
The sages of Naimiṣāraṇya (addressing Sūta Gosvāmin)
Tattva Level: pashu
Significance: Frames the core Siddhānta concern: correct liṅga-pratiṣṭhā and worship according to deśa-kāla and adhikāra (who is qualified), ensuring ritual becomes a conduit for Śiva’s grace.
FAQs
It frames devotion as both inner reverence and outer discipline: the sages seek the correct way to consecrate and worship the Liṅga so that worship aligns with dharma and leads toward Śiva’s grace (anugraha) and liberation.
By asking about pratiṣṭhā (consecration) and samabhyarcana (proper worship), the verse points to Saguna-upāsanā—approaching the formless Supreme through the sanctified Liṅga as Śiva’s accessible, worshipful presence.
The verse signals the need for regulated worship—observing vrata/niyama, choosing proper deśa and kāla, and performing Liṅga-pūjā with prescribed method; later instructions typically integrate mantra (notably the Pañcākṣarī) and purity observances.