Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 66
शिवात्परतरो नास्ति पूजनीयो हि भो द्विजाः । ये हि मूकास्तथांधाश्च पंगवो ये जडास्तथा
śivātparataro nāsti pūjanīyo hi bho dvijāḥ | ye hi mūkāstathāṃdhāśca paṃgavo ye jaḍāstathā
ശിവനേക്കാൾ പരൻ ആരുമില്ല; ഹേ ദ്വിജന്മാരേ, അവൻ തന്നെയാണ് സത്യത്തിൽ പൂജ്യൻ. മൂകർ, അന്ധർ, മുടന്തർ, ജഡബുദ്ധിയുള്ളവർ ആയാലും—
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to sages (deduced)
Tirtha: Kedāra
Type: kshetra
Listener: dvijāḥ
Scene: A teacher-sage addresses dvijāḥ near a Himalayan shrine; among the gathered are devotees who are blind, lame, or mute, all facing the liṅga with folded hands; Śiva’s supremacy is conveyed through a radiant aura above the sanctum.
FAQs
Śiva-bhakti is supreme and accessible; spiritual worth is not limited by physical or mental impediments.
Kedāra-kṣetra’s Śiva-māhātmya underlies the proclamation of Śiva as the highest object of worship.
General injunction to worship Śiva (pūjā/arcana), without specifying a particular rite in this half-verse.