Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 102
Adhyāya 25 — Liṅga-māhātmya (The Chapter on the Liṅga): Hari’s Śiva-Worship and the Fiery Pillar Theophany
ततः प्रभृति लोकेषु लिङ्गार्चा सुप्रतिष्ठिता / लिङ्ग तल्लयनाद् ब्रह्मन् ब्रह्मणः परमं वपुः
tataḥ prabhṛti lokeṣu liṅgārcā supratiṣṭhitā / liṅga tallayanād brahman brahmaṇaḥ paramaṃ vapuḥ
Dès lors, dans tous les mondes, le culte du Liṅga fut solidement établi. Car le Liṅga—en tant que signe et puissance qui résorbe toutes les formes dans l’Absolu, ô Brahman—est vénéré comme la suprême manifestation de Brahman.
Narrator/Sūta (Purāṇic narrator addressing a Brahmin sage)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It presents the Liṅga as a supreme “sign” of Brahman: not a limited idol, but a pointer to the Absolute into which names and forms dissolve (laya), aligning worship with realization of the non-limited Brahman.
The verse implies laya-oriented contemplation: using the Liṅga as a support (ālambana) for worship and meditation so the mind resolves (līyate) from external forms toward Brahman—an approach compatible with Pāśupata-leaning Śaiva practice integrated with Purāṇic devotion.
By defining Liṅga-worship as oriented to Brahman itself (the supreme reality), it supports the Kurma Purana’s synthetic stance: sectarian forms function as gateways to one Absolute, allowing Śaiva symbols to harmonize with broader Vaiṣṇava-Purāṇic theology.