Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 31
लिङ्गपूजनसंक्षेपः
Concise Teaching on Liṅga Worship / Śiva-arcana-vidhi
पूजाविधिं समादाय स्वासने ह्युपविश्य वै । न्यासादिकं विधायादौ पूजयेत्क्रमशो हरम्
pūjāvidhiṃ samādāya svāsane hyupaviśya vai | nyāsādikaṃ vidhāyādau pūjayetkramaśo haram
Ayant pris en main la juste procédure du culte et s’étant assis sur son siège prescrit, qu’on accomplisse d’abord les rites préparatoires tels que le nyāsa. Puis, pas à pas, qu’on adore Hara, le Seigneur Śiva, selon l’ordre requis.
Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s worship-method to the sages of Naimisharanya within the Rudra Saṃhitā context)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Significance: Nyāsa and krama-pūjā express the Siddhānta principle that the paśu approaches Pati through disciplined, revealed procedure (vidhi), culminating in receptivity to liberating grace.
Mantra: (implied) oṃ namaḥ śivāya
Type: panchakshara
Shakti Form: Umā
Role: liberating
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
It teaches that devotion must be joined with discipline: by sitting steadily and performing nyāsa first, the worshipper purifies body-mind and then approaches Hara in an ordered, reverent way—supporting inner steadiness that leads toward Śiva’s grace.
The verse outlines pūjā-krama (sequence) used in saguna worship—commonly applied to the Śiva-liṅga—where external ritual order mirrors internal alignment, making the devotee fit to honor Śiva’s manifest form while contemplating His transcendence.
It specifically points to nyāsa (mantra-installation on the body) and other preliminaries before pūjā; practically, one sits on an āsana, centers the mind, performs nyāsa with Śiva-mantras (often aligned with the Pañcākṣarī), and then proceeds with worship step by step.