Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 45
लिङ्गपूजनसंक्षेपः
Concise Teaching on Liṅga Worship / Śiva-arcana-vidhi
कल्पयेदासनं स्वस्तिपद्मादि प्रणवेन तु । तस्मात्पूर्वदिशं साक्षादणिमामयमक्षरम्
kalpayedāsanaṃ svastipadmādi praṇavena tu | tasmātpūrvadiśaṃ sākṣādaṇimāmayamakṣaram
Dengan Praṇava (Oṁ), hendaklah seseorang membentuk dalam batin tempat duduk suci—seperti padmāsana yang membawa restu. Daripadanya, kemudian ditegakkan di arah timur suku kata yang tidak binasa itu sendiri, nyata sebagai kuasa aṇimā, yakni kehalusan yang amat kecil.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Shiva Purana’s ritual-dhyāna procedure to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya, within the Rudrasaṁhitā context)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Mantra: oṃ (praṇava)
Type: gayatri
Role: teaching
FAQs
It teaches that Shiva-worship begins inwardly: by establishing an auspicious meditative seat through Oṁ and then placing the imperishable mantra-principle into the cosmos of directions—signifying that consciousness (Śiva) pervades and orders the practitioner’s inner space.
Before external offerings to the Liṅga (Saguna worship), the devotee performs mantra-based inner arrangement (dhyāna/nyāsa). The Praṇava is treated as Shiva’s living sound-form, preparing the mind-field where the Liṅga is contemplated as the manifest support of the formless Reality.
Visualize an auspicious lotus-seat using Oṁ (Praṇava), then perform directional mantra-installation beginning with the east, contemplating the mantra as ‘akṣara’ (imperishable) and as subtle, aṇimā-like presence—steadying the mind for japa and pūjā.