Shloka 9
उत्तरदिग्देशस्थ-शिवलीङ्गमाहात्म्य
Māhātmya of Northern-Region Śiva-liṅgas
चन्द्रभालमहादेव लिंगस्य महिमा महान् । यथाकथंचित्संप्रोक्तः परलिंगस्य वै शृणु
candrabhālamahādeva liṃgasya mahimā mahān | yathākathaṃcitsaṃproktaḥ paraliṃgasya vai śṛṇu
Kemuliaan Liṅga Mahādeva—Dia yang berbulan di dahi—memang amat besar. Ia telah dihuraikan sekadar sedikit; kini dengarlah, sesungguhnya, kisah tentang Liṅga Yang Tertinggi, melampaui segala.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: Transition verse: after partially stating Candrabhāla-liṅga’s greatness, the narration turns to ‘para-liṅga’—the transcendent liṅga principle beyond particular shrine-forms.
Significance: Frames a hierarchy: from kṣetra-liṅga māhātmya to para-liṅga (metaphysical liṅga-tattva), guiding devotees from ritual merit toward contemplative understanding.
Role: teaching
FAQs
It signals a transition from praising the manifest, worshipable form of Śiva (Liṅga) to contemplating the Para-Liṅga—the transcendent reality of Śiva as Pati, beyond limitation—guiding the devotee from outer reverence to deeper realization.
It affirms that the Saguna Liṅga’s glory is vast and only partially expressible, and then directs the listener toward the higher meaning: the Liṅga is also a doorway to the Nirguna/Para aspect of Śiva, not merely a physical emblem.
Begin with traditional Liṅga-pūjā (abhisheka, bilva offering, japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), then internalize the worship by meditating on Śiva as the Para-Liṅga—pure consciousness beyond form.