Shloka 28
Śiva-Pūjākramaḥ — The Procedural Order of Shiva Worship
Pañcāvaraṇa & Upacāras
वैशम्पायन एव स्यात्पैलो जैमिनिरेव च । सुमन्तुश्चेति चत्वारो व्यासशिष्या महौजसः
vaiśampāyana eva syātpailo jaiminireva ca | sumantuśceti catvāro vyāsaśiṣyā mahaujasaḥ
Vaiśampāyana was one; Paila and Jaimini were likewise. And Sumantu too—these four were the mighty, radiant disciples of Vyāsa.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga narrative; it enumerates Vyāsa’s four principal disciples—Vaiśampāyana, Paila, Jaimini, Sumantu—supporting the theme of preservation and dissemination of sacred knowledge.
Significance: Reinforces the sanctity of learning lineages; for pilgrims/reciters, remembering the paramparā is treated as a merit-bearing act that stabilizes faith and understanding.
FAQs
It emphasizes the sanctity of guru–śiṣya paramparā: sacred knowledge is preserved and transmitted through qualified disciples, supporting right understanding (jñāna) that leads the bound soul (paśu) toward the Lord (Pati).
By establishing the authority and continuity of the tradition, it undergirds the reliability of teachings on Saguna Shiva worship—such as Linga devotion, mantra, and ritual—received through authentic lineage rather than personal invention.
The practical takeaway is śravaṇa (reverent listening) and adhyayana (study) under a competent teacher, aligning one’s practice—japa, pūjā, and meditation on Shiva—with scriptural instruction.