Shloka 1
व्यास उवाच । इति श्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य सूतस्य च मुनीश्वराः । समूचुस्तं सुप्रशस्य लोकानां हितकाम्यया
vyāsa uvāca | iti śrutvā vacastasya sūtasya ca munīśvarāḥ | samūcustaṃ supraśasya lokānāṃ hitakāmyayā
Vyāsa said: Having thus heard the words of that Sūta, the lordly sages praised him greatly and addressed him again, desiring the welfare of all the worlds.
Vyasa
Sthala Purana: Narrative transition: after the Jyotirliṅga account, the sages—motivated by loka-hita—seek further instruction, setting up the Harīśvara-liṅga episode.
Significance: Frames purāṇic discourse as a welfare-act (loka-saṅgraha): teaching itself becomes a dharmic service.
FAQs
It highlights the Shaiva value of śravaṇa (reverent listening) and satsanga: sages hear sacred narration and respond with praise, showing that spiritual knowledge is preserved and shared for lokahita—universal welfare—leading beings toward Shiva’s grace and liberation.
Though not naming the Liṅga directly, it establishes the narrative setting where teachings about Shiva’s sacred forms—especially Jyotirliṅgas in the Koṭirudrasaṃhitā—are requested and transmitted. Honoring the narrator and the tradition supports Saguna Shiva devotion through hearing and glorification.
The implied practice is śravaṇa and kīrtana—listening to and praising Shiva-kathā with a welfare-oriented intent. As a takeaway, one may recite the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) before and after hearing/reading, offering the merit for the good of all beings.