Shloka 45
Ghuśmā–Sudehā: Jealousy, Household Honor, and the Ethics of Śaiva Merit (गुश्मा–सुदेहा प्रसङ्गः)
घुश्मेशाख्यं सुप्रसिद्धं लिंगं मे जायतां शुभम् । इदं सरस्तु लिंगानामालयं जायतां सदा
ghuśmeśākhyaṃ suprasiddhaṃ liṃgaṃ me jāyatāṃ śubham | idaṃ sarastu liṃgānāmālayaṃ jāyatāṃ sadā
“May this auspicious Liṅga of mine become renowned by the name Ghuśmeśa. And may this sacred lake ever remain the abode and dwelling-place of the Liṅgas.”
Lord Shiva
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Umāpati
Jyotirlinga: Ghṛṣṇeśvara
Sthala Purana: Śiva, pleased with the devotee’s steadfastness, names His manifested Liṅga as “Ghuśmeśa/Ghṛṣṇeśa” and consecrates the adjoining sacred lake as a perpetual abode of Liṅgas, establishing the tīrtha’s enduring sanctity.
Significance: Darśana of the Liṅga and the associated saras is said to confer auspiciousness, fulfill righteous desires, and support the path from bhukti toward mukti through Śiva’s grace (anugraha).
FAQs
This verse is Shiva’s sanctioning of sacred space: the Jyotirlinga is to be eternally renowned (name, fame, and accessibility), and the lake is consecrated as a perpetual refuge for liṅga worship—supporting steady bhakti that leads the pashu (bound soul) toward Shiva’s grace and liberation.
Shiva explicitly affirms the liṅga as his auspicious, worship-worthy manifestation (Saguna upāsanā). By declaring the lake an ‘ālaya’ of liṅgas, he establishes a sustained field for abhiṣeka, japa, and pilgrimage—traditional means by which devotees approach the formless Lord through a consecrated form.
The verse implies tīrtha-sevā and liṅga-sevā: bathing or purification at the sacred lake, followed by liṅga abhiṣeka (water, milk, etc.), and mantra-japa—especially the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—as a focused practice of devotion at a Jyotirlinga site.