Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 26
सेवातत्त्वप्रश्नः — The Question of Whom to Serve (Sevā) for the Removal of Suffering
ब्रह्मोवाच । इत्युक्ताश्च तदा देवाः प्रणिपत्य हरिं स्वयम् । लिंगानि प्रार्थयामासुस्सर्वकामाप्तये नृणाम्
brahmovāca | ityuktāśca tadā devāḥ praṇipatya hariṃ svayam | liṃgāni prārthayāmāsussarvakāmāptaye nṛṇām
Brahmā dit : Ainsi interpellés, les dieux se prosternèrent devant Hari lui-même et prièrent pour la manifestation des Śiva-liṅga, afin que les humains obtiennent l’accomplissement de tous les désirs légitimes.
Brahma
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: The devas, seeking a universal means for human welfare, petition Hari so that Śiva-liṅgas may manifest as accessible supports for worship, enabling dharmic fulfillment and eventual liberation.
Significance: Frames liṅga-worship as a grace-mediated upāya for humans: righteous desire-fulfillment (sarvakāma) leading toward Śiva’s anugraha.
FAQs
The verse presents the liṅga as a compassionate, accessible form of Saguna Śiva worship established for the welfare of humanity—supporting dharma, devotion, and the gradual rise toward liberation through grace.
It explicitly frames liṅga-worship as a divinely sanctioned means for humans to approach Śiva in a tangible form; even the devas petition for it, showing the liṅga’s centrality as an altar of presence for devotion and merit.
The practical takeaway is liṅga-pūjā—especially abhiṣeka with water/milk, offering bilva leaves, and japa of Śiva-mantras (notably the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with a wish aligned to dharma.