Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 77
पाशुपतव्रतविधिः | The Procedure of the Supreme Pāśupata Vow
हैमाभावे राजतं वा ताम्रजं शैलजन्तथा । मृन्मयं वा यथालाभं जातुषं चान्यदेव वा
haimābhāve rājataṃ vā tāmrajaṃ śailajantathā | mṛnmayaṃ vā yathālābhaṃ jātuṣaṃ cānyadeva vā
Si l’or fait défaut, qu’on emploie l’argent, ou le cuivre, ou encore la pierre. Ou bien, selon ce qui se trouve, une forme d’argile ; ou de résine : en vérité, toute autre matière convenable peut aussi être utilisée.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Significance: Codifies graded accessibility (gold→silver→copper→stone→clay→resin): Śiva’s grace is not restricted by wealth; the pashu’s bondage is loosened by steady worship, not luxury.
FAQs
It teaches that Shiva accepts worship grounded in bhakti and right intention; the sanctity of Linga-upasana is not limited by wealth, because the devotee’s sincerity is primary.
It directly concerns Saguna Shiva worship through the Linga, stating that the Linga (or worship-support) may be fashioned from various materials—gold, silver, copper, stone, clay, resin—according to availability, affirming accessibility of Linga devotion.
A practical takeaway is to perform Linga-puja with whatever pure material is obtainable, maintaining mantra-japa (such as the Panchakshara) and devotional focus rather than delaying worship for lack of costly items.