Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 66
लिङ्ग-बेर-प्रतिष्ठाविधिः / The Procedure for Installing the Liṅga and the Bera
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अष्टपञ्चक्रमेणैव स्नापयित्वा मृदंभसा । गवां रसैश्च संस्नाप्य दर्भतोयैर्विशोध्य च
aṣṭapañcakrameṇaiva snāpayitvā mṛdaṃbhasā | gavāṃ rasaiśca saṃsnāpya darbhatoyairviśodhya ca
Following the prescribed rite in the eight-and-fivefold sequence, one should bathe the sacred object of worship with water mixed with clay; then bathe it again with the cow’s sacred products (pañcagavya); and finally purify it with water sanctified by darbha grass.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga narrative; it prescribes graded purification baths in an ‘aṣṭa-pañca-krama’ (eight-and-fivefold) sequence: clay-water bath, pañcagavya bathing, and darbha-sanitized water purification—typical of re-sanctification after interruption/impurity.
Significance: Models how sacred presence is maintained through purity disciplines; emphasizes that restoration is not merely symbolic but procedurally layered, supporting communal trust in the shrine’s sanctity.
Role: nurturing
FAQs
It teaches that approach to Shiva (Pati) begins with purification—outer ritual cleansing mirrors the inner removal of impurity (mala), preparing the devotee for grace through disciplined worship.
The verse outlines a practical sequence of linga-abhisheka and śuddhi (purificatory steps). By bathing and purifying the worship-support, the devotee honors Saguna Shiva in the Linga while cultivating reverence and purity.
Perform abhisheka in an ordered manner: cleanse with clay-water, bathe with cow-products (gavāṃ rasa), and finish with darbha-sanitized water—ideally while maintaining mantra-japa such as the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya).