Shloka 3
उत्तरदिग्देशस्थ-शिवलीङ्गमाहात्म्य
Māhātmya of Northern-Region Śiva-liṅgas
सूत उवाच । शृणुतादरतो विप्रा औत्तराणां विशेषतः । माहात्म्यं शिवलिंगानां प्रवदामि समासतः
sūta uvāca | śṛṇutādarato viprā auttarāṇāṃ viśeṣataḥ | māhātmyaṃ śivaliṃgānāṃ pravadāmi samāsataḥ
Sūta dit : «Ô sages brāhmanes, écoutez avec révérence, tout particulièrement au sujet des (Liṅgas) situés dans la région du nord. Je vais maintenant exposer brièvement la grandeur des Liṅgas de Śiva.»
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: Sūta’s response frames a directional (uttara) kṣetra-catalogue. Such catalogues often function as ‘portable pilgrimage’—hearing the list is itself meritorious when physical travel is difficult.
Significance: Ādara-śravaṇa (reverent listening) is emphasized; in Siddhānta, right orientation (bhakti + śraddhā) supports the descent of grace (anugraha) through sacred narrative.
FAQs
It establishes śraddhā (reverent attention) as the doorway to receiving the Liṅga-māhātmya, presenting Śiva’s Liṅga as a sacred, grace-filled focus through which devotees approach Pati (Śiva) for purification and liberation.
By announcing the “greatness of Śiva-liṅgas,” the verse frames Liṅga worship as a sanctioned Saguna support for devotion—an accessible form through which the devotee contemplates Śiva’s transcendent (Nirguṇa) reality while worshipping a consecrated emblem.
The immediate practice is attentive, reverent listening (śravaṇa) to the māhātmya; in worship, this naturally pairs with Liṅga-pūjā using the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” along with simple offerings done with devotion.