Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 187
देवैर्विष्णोः शरणागमनम्—शिवलिङ्गस्थापनं, शिवसहस्रनामस्तवः, सुदर्शनचक्रप्रदानं च
मां दिव्येन च भावेन तदाप्रभृति शङ्करम् द्रक्ष्यसे च प्रसन्नेन मित्रभूतमिवात्मना
māṃ divyena ca bhāvena tadāprabhṛti śaṅkaram drakṣyase ca prasannena mitrabhūtamivātmanā
From that time onward, with a divine disposition, you shall behold Me as Śaṅkara—your inner self made serene—just as one sees a trusted friend. For when grace and right bhāva soften the bonds of pāśa, the Lord, Pati, becomes directly present to the paśu.
Shiva (Śaṅkara) speaking within Suta’s narration
FAQs
It teaches that successful Linga-upāsanā is not only external ritual but requires divya-bhāva; when the worshipper’s inner self becomes prasanna, Shiva becomes experientially present like a close friend.
Shiva is shown as Śaṅkara, the auspicious Pati who reveals Himself through grace when the pashu’s inner condition is purified; His nearness is intimate—‘like a friend’—yet grounded in transcendence.
The key practice is bhāva-śuddhi (purifying intention and inner attitude) aligned with Pāśupata discipline—cultivating serenity (prasannatā) so darśana arises as anugraha rather than mere sensory sight.