Shloka 50
बन्धमोक्षवर्णनम्
Bondage and Liberation: The Prakṛti–Karma Wheel and Śiva as the Transcendent Cause
स्फाटिकं बाणलिंगं च सर्वेषांसर्वकामदम् । स्वीयाभावेऽन्यदीयं तु पूजायां न निषिद्ध्यते
sphāṭikaṃ bāṇaliṃgaṃ ca sarveṣāṃsarvakāmadam | svīyābhāve'nyadīyaṃ tu pūjāyāṃ na niṣiddhyate
Ein Kristall-Liṅga (sphaṭika) und das bāṇa-liṅga gewähren allen Verehrern alle gewünschten Ziele. Und wenn das eigene Liṅga nicht verfügbar ist, ist es im rituellen Gottesdienst nicht verboten, mit dem Liṅga eines anderen zu verehren.
Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s worship-instructions to the sages of Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: Implicit Narmadā tradition: naturally formed bāṇa-liṅgas are held self-manifest in sanctified river context and thus universally efficacious.
Significance: Portable, universally worshipable liṅga enabling daily pūjā; said to grant sarva-kāma and sustain continuity of worship even when one’s own icon is unavailable.
Role: liberating
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
It emphasizes that Shiva’s grace in liṅga-worship depends primarily on devotion and right intent; revered forms like sphāṭika-liṅga and Bāṇa-liṅga are praised as powerful supports for attaining legitimate aims (dharma, artha, kāma) and for progressing toward moksha.
The liṅga is a saguna support for approaching the transcendent Shiva; the verse affirms specific liṅga types as especially auspicious and clarifies that, when needed, worship may be performed even with a liṅga that belongs to someone else—showing the accessibility of saguna worship.
Perform liṅga-pūjā with a sphāṭika-liṅga or Bāṇa-liṅga when available; if not, worship a properly kept liṅga even if it is another’s, while maintaining cleanliness, offering water and bilva, and reciting the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with steady bhakti.