Shloka 43
Ghuśmeśa-jyotirliṅga-māhātmya
The Greatness of the Ghuśmeśa Jyotirlinga
सा चापि मातृपुत्रीं तां दासीवत्पर्यवर्त्तत । परित्यज्य विरोधं हि पुपोषाहर्निशं प्रिया
sā cāpi mātṛputrīṃ tāṃ dāsīvatparyavarttata | parityajya virodhaṃ hi pupoṣāharniśaṃ priyā
She too served that mother and daughter as though she were their maidservant; abandoning all opposition, the beloved one nurtured and cared for them day and night.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Shakti Form: Umā
Role: nurturing
FAQs
It elevates humility and selfless service (seva) as purifying disciplines: by abandoning hostility and caring for others continuously, the heart becomes fit for Shaiva bhakti and the grace of Pati (Shiva).
Linga-worship in the Shiva Purana is not only ritual but also inner conduct—dropping virodha (enmity) and practicing compassionate service mirrors devotion to Saguna Shiva, who is pleased by bhava (devotional attitude) as much as by offerings.
A practical takeaway is to pair daily Shiva-puja (or japa of the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with a vow of non-hostility and active seva—serving family/guests, feeding others, and maintaining a steady, day-to-day discipline.