Shloka 55
शालग्रामश्च तुलसी शंखं चैकत्र एव हि । यो रक्षति महाज्ञानी स भवेच्छ्रीहरिप्रियः
śālagrāmaśca tulasī śaṃkhaṃ caikatra eva hi | yo rakṣati mahājñānī sa bhavecchrīharipriyaḥ
Truly, whoever—being a great knower—keeps together and carefully preserves the Śālagrāma stone, Tulasī, and the conch, becomes dear to Śrī Hari.
Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva Purana teachings to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahadeva
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga narrative; it is an emblem-māhātmya teaching: preserving śālagrāma (Viṣṇu emblem), tulasī, and śaṅkha together signifies disciplined reverence and harmony of devotion.
Significance: Encourages careful guardianship of sacred objects; from a Śaiva Siddhānta lens, honoring Viṣṇu’s emblems without sectarian hostility supports sattva, reduces pāśa (karmic accretions), and prepares the paśu for Śiva’s grace.
Role: nurturing
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
It praises disciplined reverence toward sacred emblems—protecting and maintaining them as a form of dharma—showing that careful, pure devotion yields divine favor; in Shaiva Siddhānta this kind of purity and right conduct becomes a support for receiving Śiva’s grace and progressing toward liberation.
Although the verse names Vaiṣṇava emblems (Śālagrāma, Tulasī, conch), the Shiva Purana often upholds harmony among orthodox forms of devotion; honoring sacred symbols trains steadiness, purity, and bhakti—qualities essential for Saguna Śiva worship of the Liṅga with proper ritual care.
Maintain sacred worship items with cleanliness and reverence, keep them gathered in a dedicated altar space, and cultivate daily devotional discipline; as a Śaiva complement, one may pair this with regular Liṅga-pūjā, japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and observance of purity (ācāra).