Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 5
लिङ्गपूजनसंक्षेपः
Concise Teaching on Liṅga Worship / Śiva-arcana-vidhi
तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तेषां शर्मदं श्रुतिसंमतम् । उवाच सकलं प्रीत्या मुनि प्रश्नानुसारतः
tacchrutvā vacanaṃ teṣāṃ śarmadaṃ śrutisaṃmatam | uvāca sakalaṃ prītyā muni praśnānusārataḥ
അവരുടെ വചനങ്ങൾ—ശാന്തിദായകവും ശ്രുതിസമ്മതവും—കേട്ട് മുനി സന്തോഷിച്ചു; അവരുടെ ചോദ്യാനുസാരമായി എല്ലാം പൂർണ്ണമായി പറഞ്ഞു।
The sage (muni), narrating in response to the assembled inquirers (contextually within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa: Brahmā as the instructing sage to the questioners).
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Sthala Purana: No jyotirliṅga linkage; the verse legitimizes the teaching as śruti-saṃmata (Veda-congruent), a common Purāṇic strategy to authorize ritual instruction.
Significance: Frames Śiva-arcana as a śāstra-sanctioned path yielding śarma (peace/welfare), i.e., the fruit of right worship leading toward Śiva’s grace.
Role: teaching
FAQs
It affirms that authentic Shaiva teaching should be śruti-saṁmata (aligned with Vedic truth) and transmitted through humble inquiry and a compassionate teacher, making the instruction śarmada—peace-giving and spiritually stabilizing.
By stressing Veda-consistent instruction given in response to sincere questions, it frames Linga/Saguna Shiva worship as a disciplined, scripturally grounded path learned through proper guidance rather than mere sentiment.
Śravaṇa (devout listening) and praśna (reverent inquiry) are implied as core practices; approached with prīti (joyful devotion), they support mantra-japa (such as the Panchākṣarī) and steady contemplation.