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Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 20

लिङ्गपूजनसंक्षेपः

Concise Teaching on Liṅga Worship / Śiva-arcana-vidhi

शुद्धां मृदं द्विजो लिप्यात्पंचवारं विशुद्धये । क्षत्रियश्च चतुर्वारं वैश्यो वरत्रयं तथा

śuddhāṃ mṛdaṃ dvijo lipyātpaṃcavāraṃ viśuddhaye | kṣatriyaśca caturvāraṃ vaiśyo varatrayaṃ tathā

Demi penyucian yang sempurna, seorang dwija (dua kali lahir) hendaklah menyapu tanah liat yang suci lima kali; seorang Kṣatriya empat kali, dan seorang Vaiśya tiga kali demikian juga.

śuddhāmpure
śuddhām:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootśuddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (singular); viśeṣaṇa of mṛdam
mṛdamclay/earth
mṛdam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootmṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (singular)
dvijaḥa Brahmin (twice-born)
dvijaḥ:
Kartā (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)
lipyātshould smear/apply
lipyāt:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootlip (धातु)
FormVidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्, optative), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana (singular)
paṃcavāramfive times
paṃcavāram:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootpaṃca + vāra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormSaṅkhyā-avyaya (संख्या-अव्यय) used adverbially; ‘five times’
viśuddhayefor purification
viśuddhaye:
Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootviśuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Caturthī vibhakti (4th/चतुर्थी), Ekavacana (singular); prayojana (purpose)
kṣatriyaḥa Kshatriya
kṣatriyaḥ:
Kartā (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkṣatriya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormSamuccaya-nipāta (समुच्चय-निपात), conjunction
caturvāramfour times
caturvāram:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootcatur + vāra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormSaṅkhyā-avyaya (संख्या-अव्यय) used adverbially; ‘four times’
vaiśyaḥa Vaishya
vaiśyaḥ:
Kartā (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootvaiśya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)
varatrayamthree times
varatrayam:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvara + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormSaṅkhyā-avyaya (संख्या-अव्यय) used adverbially; ‘three times’
tathālikewise/so
tathā:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottathā (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; prakāra-vācaka (प्रकारवाचक) adverb

Suta Goswami

Tattva Level: pasha

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga narrative; it codifies graded śauca rules (clay application counts) by varṇa as part of preparatory purity before worship and social-ritual order.

Significance: Frames bodily purification as removing ‘mala’ (impurity) before approaching the sacred—supporting eligibility for mantra/pujā.

S
Shiva

FAQs

It teaches that ritual purity supports mental clarity and steadiness, making the practitioner fit for Shiva-upāsanā; outer cleansing is treated as a doorway to inner purification.

Linga worship emphasizes śauca (cleanliness) and disciplined preparation; applying pure earth is part of readying the body-mind so devotion can be offered to Saguna Shiva with reverence and focus.

A graded purification practice using pure clay/earth applied a specified number of times according to varṇa, as a preparatory observance before Shiva worship, mantra-japa, or temple/linga rituals.