Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 101
Adhyaya 89: शौचाचारलक्षणम् — सदाचार, भैक्ष्यचर्या, प्रायश्चित्त, द्रव्यशुद्धि, आशौच-निर्णय
द्वितीये ऽहनि विप्रा हि यथा वै ब्रह्मघातिनी तृतीये ऽह्नि तदर्धेन चतुर्थे ऽहनि सुव्रताः
dvitīye 'hani viprā hi yathā vai brahmaghātinī tṛtīye 'hni tadardhena caturthe 'hani suvratāḥ
On the second day, O disciplined ones, the condition of fault is said to be like that of a slayer of a brāhmaṇa; on the third day it becomes half of that, and on the fourth day it is reduced still further—such gradations are declared.
Suta Goswami
FAQs
It frames purification as a graded process over days, implying that consistent Śiva-oriented discipline (vrata, japa, pūjā) progressively loosens pāśa (karmic bondage) so the worshipper approaches the Linga with increasing inner śuddhi.
Implicitly, Śiva is Pati—the liberating Lord—because sin is treated as a measurable bondage that can be diminished through dharma and Śaiva purification, culminating in fitness for grace (anugraha) rather than mere punishment.
A day-by-day prāyaścitta framework: maintaining suvrata (disciplined vows) alongside purificatory observances—typically including Śiva-pūjā, mantra-japa, fasting/regulated diet, and vrata-based restraint—so the burden of fault diminishes in stages.