Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 13
शिवतत्त्ववर्णनम् (Śiva-tattva-varṇana) — “Description/Exposition of the Principle of Śiva”
मम लिंगं सदा पूज्य ध्येयं चैतादृशं मम । इदानीं दृश्यते यद्वत्तथा कार्यं प्रयत्नतः
mama liṃgaṃ sadā pūjya dhyeyaṃ caitādṛśaṃ mama | idānīṃ dṛśyate yadvattathā kāryaṃ prayatnataḥ
« Mon Liṅga doit être toujours adoré, et il doit être médité en cette forme même qui est la Mienne. Tel qu’il se voit à présent, ainsi doit-il être façonné avec un effort diligent. »
Lord Shiva
Tattva Level: pati
Sthala Purana: General liṅga-upāsanā injunction: the liṅga as enduring locus of Śiva’s presence to be worshipped and meditated upon ‘as seen now’; not tied to a specific jyotirliṅga, but conceptually aligns with ‘svayaṃ-prakāśa’ manifestations celebrated in jyotirliṅga traditions.
Significance: Establishes liṅga as stable support (ālambana) for dhyāna and pūjā; promises continuity of Śiva’s presence for devotees across time.
Role: nurturing
Offering: pushpa
Cosmic Event: From epiphany to institution: Śiva stabilizes access to Himself through a worship-form (liṅga), supporting ongoing order (sthiti) and grace-mediated practice.
FAQs
Śiva affirms the Liṅga as a perpetual focus for worship and contemplation, making the divine accessible through a stable, consecrated form that supports devotion (bhakti) and meditative absorption (dhyāna) toward liberation.
The verse explicitly instructs that Śiva’s Liṅga be worshipped and meditated upon “as seen now,” presenting the Liṅga as Śiva’s Saguna (worshipful, approachable) manifestation through which devotees can relate to the transcendent Lord.
It suggests regular Liṅga-pūjā and Liṅga-dhyāna—worship and meditation on the Liṅga’s revealed form—performed carefully and attentively; the emphasis is on faithful, consistent practice rather than a single occasion.