Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 36
लिङ्गपूजनसंक्षेपः
Concise Teaching on Liṅga Worship / Śiva-arcana-vidhi
तस्य सारूप्यतां स्मृत्वा दहेत्पापं नरस्सदा । शिवं ततः समुत्थाप्य पूजयेत्परमेश्वरम्
tasya sārūpyatāṃ smṛtvā dahetpāpaṃ narassadā | śivaṃ tataḥ samutthāpya pūjayetparameśvaram
En se souvenant de Sa forme divine (sārūpya), l’homme doit sans cesse consumer le péché. Puis, après avoir dûment relevé et établi Śiva (image ou liṅga), qu’il adore Parameśvara, le Seigneur suprême.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Significance: The verse articulates the core pilgrimage logic: smaraṇa/dhyāna of Śiva’s form and proper installation/worship burns pāpa and leads toward sāyujya/sārūpya-type fruits (by grace).
Role: liberating
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
The verse teaches that steady remembrance of Śiva’s auspicious form purifies the soul by burning pāpa (impurities), and that devotion should culminate in reverent worship of Parameśvara—linking inner meditation with outer pūjā in a Shaiva Siddhanta spirit of grace and purification.
It presents a Saguna approach: contemplate Śiva’s form and then “raise/establish” Śiva for worship—naturally aligning with liṅga-pratiṣṭhā or setting up a Śiva-mūrti, where the devotee honors the Supreme through a consecrated, worship-worthy manifestation.
A twofold practice is implied: (1) smaraṇa/dhyāna—remembering Śiva’s divine form to cleanse inner impurities, and (2) pūjā—formally establishing the liṅga or image and worshipping with offerings, especially suitable for daily worship and Mahāśivarātri observance.