पापभेदवर्णनम्
Classification of Sins / Taxonomy of Pāpa
ब्राह्म्यादिव्रतसंत्यागश्चान्याचारनिषेवणम् । असच्छास्त्राधिगमनं शुष्कतर्कावलम्बनम्
brāhmyādivratasaṃtyāgaścānyācāraniṣevaṇam | asacchāstrādhigamanaṃ śuṣkatarkāvalambanam
Meninggalkan vrata suci seperti Brahma-vrata, mengikuti laku yang asing/tidak sesuai śāstra, mempelajari ajaran yang menyesatkan, dan berpegang pada logika kering belaka—semuanya menjauhkan dari jalan Śaiva yang sejati.
Lord Shiva
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga narrative; it delineates deviations: abandoning vrata, adopting improper conduct, pursuing false śāstra, and relying on sterile disputation—seen as veiling (tirodhāna) that blocks the Śaiva mārga.
Significance: Frames pilgrimage as caryā (right conduct) + kriyā (right worship) + jñāna (right doctrine), warning against sectarian drift and sophistry.
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: teaching
It warns that spiritual decline comes from giving up authentic vows and discipline, following improper conduct, and substituting realization-based practice with false teachings and empty debate—thereby obstructing devotion to Pati (Shiva) and the path to liberation.
Linga/Saguna Shiva worship in the Purana is grounded in śraddhā, vrata, and scriptural fidelity; this verse cautions against drifting into non-authoritative paths and argumentative skepticism that erodes steady upāsanā and the lived disciplines supporting Linga worship.
The takeaway is to uphold prescribed vratas and right conduct while practicing Shiva-upāsanā—such as mantra-japa (notably the Panchakshara), and disciplined devotional observance—rather than relying on mere disputation or heterodox manuals.