Shloka 1
ऋषय ऊचुः । ज्योतिषां चैव लिंगानां माहात्म्यं कथयाधुना । उत्पत्तिं च तथा तेषां ब्रूहि सर्वं यथाश्रुतम्
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | jyotiṣāṃ caiva liṃgānāṃ māhātmyaṃ kathayādhunā | utpattiṃ ca tathā teṣāṃ brūhi sarvaṃ yathāśrutam
The sages said: “Now tell us the greatness of the luminous Jyotiḥ Liṅgas. Also explain their origin—tell us everything about them exactly as you have heard it in the sacred tradition.”
The sages of Naimiṣāraṇya (ṛṣis) addressing Sūta Gosvāmin
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Liṅgodbhava
Sthala Purana: This is the formal inquiry that opens the Jyotirliṅga section: the sages request the māhātmya (glory) and utpatti (manifestation/origin) of the ‘luminous liṅgas’. In Purāṇic framing, Jyotirliṅgas are self-manifest (svayaṃbhū) revelations of Śiva’s infinite light, often tied to the Liṅgodbhava paradigm (endless pillar of fire/light).
Significance: Sets the theological basis for pilgrimage: visiting/remembering Jyotirliṅgas is participation in Śiva’s self-revealed light (jyotis), promising purification and Śiva-anugraha.
FAQs
This verse opens the inquiry into Jyotirlinga-māhātmya, showing that liberation-oriented Shaiva devotion begins with śravaṇa (hearing) of Shiva’s sacred manifestations and their glory as preserved in authoritative tradition.
By asking about the ‘luminous Lingas,’ the sages point to Saguna Shiva worship through the Linga as a concrete, grace-filled form in which the transcendent Lord (Pati) becomes accessible for devotion, pilgrimage, and inner contemplation.
The immediate practice implied is śravaṇa and kīrtana—listening to and reciting the Jyotirlinga narratives and glories—often paired in Shaiva practice with Linga-pūjā and remembrance of the Panchākṣarī mantra, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya.”