Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 52
मृत्युञ्जय-विद्या-प्रादुर्भावः
The Manifestation/Transmission of the Mṛtyuñjaya Vidyā
इति दत्त्वा वरान्देवस्तत्र लिंगे लयं ययौ । भार्गवोऽपि निजं धाम प्राप संतुष्टमानसः
iti dattvā varāndevastatra liṃge layaṃ yayau | bhārgavo'pi nijaṃ dhāma prāpa saṃtuṣṭamānasaḥ
Demikianlah, setelah menganugerahkan anugerah, Sang Dewa pun melebur ke dalam Liṅga itu sendiri. Bhārgava juga kembali ke kediamannya, dengan hati sepenuhnya puas.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: The Lord, after granting boons, ‘enters/merges’ into the liṅga at that very site—an archetypal sthala motif explaining why the liṅga is treated as Śiva’s abiding, accessible presence after a theophany.
Significance: Darśana of a liṅga understood as Śiva’s ‘laya’/abiding presence: worship there is held to yield boons and the assurance of the Lord’s nearness even after the visible manifestation withdraws.
Cosmic Event: Localized theophany concluding in liṅga-abidance (a microcosmic ‘withdrawal’ motif rather than mahāpralaya).
FAQs
The verse highlights Shiva’s grace: after granting boons, He “merges” into the Liṅga, indicating that the Liṅga is not merely a symbol but the abiding presence of Pati (Shiva) accessible to devotees, leading to peace and fulfillment.
Shiva entering the Liṅga affirms Saguna worship: the Lord becomes present in a consecrated form for devotees. Liṅga-upāsanā is thus a direct mode of approaching Shiva’s compassion and protection while pointing toward His subtler, transcendent reality.
A practical takeaway is steady Liṅga-pūjā with bhakti—offering water, bilva leaves, and japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya)—cultivating inner contentment (saṃtuṣṭa-mānasaḥ) through Shiva’s grace.