Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 15
लिङ्गप्रतिष्ठा-माहात्म्यम् / The Greatness of Liṅga Installation
यतस्त्वेतौ विशुद्धौ तौ देहस्तदुपचारतः । तदेव परमा शक्तिः शिवस्य परमात्मनः
yatastvetau viśuddhau tau dehastadupacārataḥ | tadeva paramā śaktiḥ śivasya paramātmanaḥ
Parce que ces deux-là sont réellement purs, on ne parle de « corps » que par simple usage conventionnel. Ce principe même, dans sa pureté, est la Puissance suprême (Śakti) de Śiva, le Soi suprême.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: Interprets liṅga/pīṭha ‘body’ language as upacāra (conventional attribution). The ‘pure principle’ indicated is Śiva’s own Parāśakti—pointing to the metaphysical ground behind temple symbolism.
Significance: Encourages pilgrims to move from external symbol to inner realization: the liṅga points to the viśuddha (pure) reality of Śiva and His Parāśakti, culminating in liberating insight.
Shakti Form: Mahādevī
Role: liberating
FAQs
It teaches that the body is only a conventional designation, while the truly pure reality is Shiva’s supreme power—pointing the seeker toward disidentification from the body and recognition of the highest Shaiva principle that grants liberation.
Linga worship trains the mind to move from outer form (saguna upacāra) to the inner, pure reality—Shiva as Paramatma with His supreme Shakti—so the symbol leads beyond bodily and limited identifications.
Meditate on Shiva as the Supreme Self beyond the body—supporting practice with japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and inner contemplation that the ‘I’ is not the body but oriented toward Shiva’s highest power.