Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 100
ततः श्रद्धार्द्रचित्तस्य स्नानं लिंगस्य चाचरेत् । गृहीत्वा गडुकं पूर्वं मलस्नानं समाचरेत्
tataḥ śraddhārdracittasya snānaṃ liṃgasya cācaret | gṛhītvā gaḍukaṃ pūrvaṃ malasnānaṃ samācaret
ત્યારબાદ શ્રદ્ધાથી દ્રવિત ચિત્તવાળો લિંગનું સ્નાન કરાવે; પહેલાં ગડુક (જલપાત્ર) લઈને મલસ્નાન એટલે શુદ્ધિકારક સ્નાન કરવું।
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)
Listener: King (nṛpa) addressed in the sequence
Scene: A devotee with moist-eyed faith holds a gaḍuka, first rinsing and cleansing the liṅga base and surroundings (malasnāna), then preparing for a fuller abhiṣeka; water streams glint in lamplight.
FAQs
External cleansing becomes meaningful when performed with śraddhā—faith that purifies the heart along with the rite.
No specific tīrtha is mentioned; it is a procedural instruction for liṅga-abhiṣeka.
Begin liṅga bathing by first performing malasnāna (a cleansing wash) using a water vessel (gaḍuka).