Shloka 68
Liṅga-pratiṣṭhāvidhiḥ — Installation Standards and Auspicious Parameters for Liṅga Worship
ऋषय ऊचुः । अथ क्षेत्राणि पुण्यानि समासात्कथयस्व नः । सर्वाः स्त्रियश्च पुरुषा यान्याश्रित्य पदं लभेत्
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | atha kṣetrāṇi puṇyāni samāsātkathayasva naḥ | sarvāḥ striyaśca puruṣā yānyāśritya padaṃ labhet
Para Ṛṣi berkata: “Sekarang, ceritakanlah kepada kami secara ringkas tentang kṣetra-kṣetra suci yang penuh pahala—tempat-tempat kudus yang dengan berlindung padanya, semua wanita dan lelaki dapat mencapai keadaan tertinggi (mokṣa).”
The sages at Naimiṣāraṇya (addressing Sūta Gosvāmin)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Sthala Purana: The sages request a concise catalog of puṇya-kṣetras—places of Śiva’s special presence where ‘āśraya’ (taking refuge) leads toward the supreme pada. This anticipates later kṣetra-māhātmya style narration (often including liṅga-pratiṣṭhā, tīrtha emergence, and boons to pilgrims).
Significance: Frames tīrtha-yātrā as universally accessible (women and men alike) and soteriologically meaningful when undertaken as śaraṇāgati (refuge) in Śiva’s sacred geography.
Role: liberating
FAQs
It frames pilgrimage (kṣetra-sevā) as a universal path—open to all—where taking refuge in Shiva-connected sacred spaces supports the attainment of the supreme state, i.e., moksha through devotion and grace.
The request anticipates teachings on holy kshetras where Saguna Shiva is worshipped through the Liṅga; such sites are treated as concentrated fields of Shiva’s presence, making devotion, darśana, and worship especially fruitful.
The practical takeaway is kṣetra-yātrā with Shiva-bhakti—visiting holy places, performing Liṅga-pūjā, japa (especially the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), and observing purity and vows as taught in the Purana.