Shloka 18
स्पृष्ट्वा करेण तां तत्र कल्याणं ते भविष्यति । शुक्लपक्षे यथा चन्द्रो वर्द्धन्तां त्वद्गुणास्तथा
spṛṣṭvā kareṇa tāṃ tatra kalyāṇaṃ te bhaviṣyati | śuklapakṣe yathā candro varddhantāṃ tvadguṇāstathā
Having touched her there with your hand, auspiciousness shall surely come to you. As the moon waxes in the bright fortnight, so may your virtues likewise increase.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Purāṇic account within the Pārvatīkhaṇḍa context)
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Auspicious touch and waxing-moon simile function as omen/blessing within the marriage narrative; no direct Jyotirliṅga linkage.
Significance: Teaches that contact with the sacred (sparśa) and association with Devī increases kalyāṇa; the waxing moon becomes a devotional calendar-image for growth in guṇa and bhakti.
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: nurturing
Cosmic Event: Waxing moon (śukla-pakṣa) invoked as auspicious cosmic rhythm for increase.
FAQs
The verse frames auspiciousness as the fruit of a sanctified, dharmic act and blessing: when grace is received rightly, inner guṇas (virtues) are meant to steadily expand—like the waxing moon—supporting purification and readiness for Śiva’s anugraha (liberating grace).
Though not explicitly about the Liṅga here, the imagery matches Saguna Śiva-bhakti: auspicious contact/blessing (prasāda) leads to growth of sattvic qualities. In Liṅga worship, this is mirrored by receiving prasāda and living in increasing śauca, dayā, and bhakti—outer worship ripening into inner transformation.
A practical takeaway is to pair worship with vow-like cultivation of virtues through the waxing fortnight: daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), offering water to the Śiva-liṅga, and self-audit of conduct so that guṇas ‘increase’ steadily rather than remain merely devotional sentiment.