Shloka 56
Vyāsotpatti-kathana
Account of the Birth/Origin of Vyāsa
लोलार्कमुख्यसूर्यांश्च प्रणम्य च पुनःपुनः । कृत्वा पिण्डप्रदानानि सर्वतीर्थेष्वतन्द्रितः
lolārkamukhyasūryāṃśca praṇamya ca punaḥpunaḥ | kṛtvā piṇḍapradānāni sarvatīrtheṣvatandritaḥ
Again and again he bowed to the Sun, beginning with Lolārka, and without indolence he performed the offering of piṇḍas at all the sacred tīrthas.
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya, within the Umāsaṃhitā’s pilgrimage/rite context)
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Reference to Lolārka indicates a famed Sūrya-tīrtha tradition (especially known from Kāśī-kṣetra lore), integrated here into a broader tīrtha-caraṇa where ancillary deities are honored alongside Śaiva aims.
Significance: Bowing to Sūrya and performing piṇḍa-dāna at tīrthas supports pitṛ-tarpaṇa and removal of ancestral debts (pitṛ-ṛṇa), preparing the aspirant for higher Śaiva worship and grace.
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
It praises sustained reverence and disciplined sacred action: repeated prostration (praṇāma) and untiring performance of purificatory rites at tīrthas, aligning one’s karma and intention toward dharma and spiritual clarity.
Though Sūrya is named, the Shiva Purana frames such tīrtha-observances as supportive disciplines that purify the seeker for deeper Shaiva devotion—preparing the mind for Saguna worship (including Liṅga-pūjā) and, ultimately, steadfast orientation to Pati (Śiva).
Pilgrimage conduct with repeated praṇāma and piṇḍa-dāna (ancestral offerings) performed diligently at sacred tīrthas—done with purity, steadiness, and devotional intent.