Shloka 132
Vyāsotpatti-kathana
Account of the Birth/Origin of Vyāsa
विवर्तनाद्ब्रह्मणस्तु ब्रह्मवैवर्तमुच्यते । लिंगस्य चरितोक्तत्वात्पुराणं लिंगमुच्यते
vivartanādbrahmaṇastu brahmavaivartamucyate | liṃgasya caritoktatvātpurāṇaṃ liṃgamucyate
ज्यात ब्रह्माचे ‘वैवर्त’ म्हणजे रूपांतर वर्णिले आहे, ते ‘ब्रह्मवैवर्त’ म्हणतात. आणि भगवान् शिवांच्या लिंगाचे चरित्र व माहात्म्य सांगितल्यामुळे ते ‘लिंग पुराण’ म्हणून ओळखले जाते.
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages, consistent with Purāṇic frame and Uma-saṃhitā discourse style)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Liṅgodbhava
Sthala Purana: Mentions the Liṅga Purāṇa by name and rationale (‘liṅgasya carita’). While not naming a specific Jyotirliṅga, it evokes the pan-Indian Liṅga as Śiva’s aniconic/axis form celebrated across kṣetras.
Significance: Affirms liṅga-māhātmya as a salvific focus; in Siddhānta, liṅga-arcana supports purification (mala-kṣaya) and prepares the paśu for Śiva’s anugraha.
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
It explains that Purāṇas are named according to their central teaching: when the Liṅga’s glory and sacred history are taught, the text is identified as ‘Liṅga Purāṇa,’ affirming the Liṅga as a primary doorway to Śiva-realization in Shaiva tradition.
By stating that a Purāṇa is called ‘Liṅga’ because it expounds the Liṅga’s carita (māhātmya and narratives), it supports Saguna upāsanā through the Liṅga as a sanctified form that leads the devotee toward Śiva, the supreme Pati.
The takeaway is śravaṇa (devotional listening/recitation) of Liṅga-related Purāṇic teachings alongside Liṅga-pūjā—ideally with Panchākṣarī japa (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and traditional offerings such as water/abhisheka.