Shloka 18
शिवलिङ्गमाहात्म्यवर्णनम्
Narration of the Greatness of the Śiva-liṅga
कामेश्वरः शंभुलिंगो गंगेशः परशुद्धिकृत् । शक्रेश्वरः शुक्रसिद्धो लोकानां हितकाम्यया
kāmeśvaraḥ śaṃbhuliṃgo gaṃgeśaḥ paraśuddhikṛt | śakreśvaraḥ śukrasiddho lokānāṃ hitakāmyayā
He is Kāmeśvara; He is the Śaṃbhu-liṅga; He is Gaṅgeśa, the bestower of supreme purification. He is Śakreśvara, and He is Śukra-siddha—manifesting these sacred forms out of a desire for the welfare of the worlds.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: This verse functions as a nāma-saṅkīrtana/catalogue of regional Liṅga-epithets (Kāmeśvara, Śaṃbhu-liṅga, Gaṅgeśa, Śakreśvara, Śukra-siddha), presenting Śiva’s one Lordship (Pati) as manifesting in many tīrtha-forms for loka-hita (welfare of beings). No single Jyotirliṅga is explicitly fixed here.
Significance: Darśana of these Liṅga-forms is framed as para-śuddhi (supreme purification) and loka-hita—i.e., removal of mala and pāpa, and orientation of the soul toward Śiva’s grace.
Type: stotra
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
The verse presents Śiva’s many sacred epithets as compassionate manifestations: He becomes the Liṅga and the purifier (paraśuddhikṛt) specifically to cleanse and uplift beings, guiding them toward grace and liberation.
By naming Śiva as “Śaṃbhu-liṅga,” it affirms Saguna worship through the Liṅga as a merciful, accessible form in which devotees can approach the transcendent Lord and receive purification and blessings.
The practical takeaway is Liṅga-upāsanā with a focus on purification—regular abhiṣeka (water, especially sanctified water), japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), and maintaining śauca (inner/outer cleanliness) as devotion for the welfare of all.