Shloka 36
Pārthiva-Śiva-liṅga-māhātmya
The Excellence of the Earthen Śiva Liṅga
अखंडे तु चरे पूजा सम्पूर्णफलदायिनी । द्विखंडे तु चरे पूजामहाहानिप्रदा स्मृता
akhaṃḍe tu care pūjā sampūrṇaphaladāyinī | dvikhaṃḍe tu care pūjāmahāhānipradā smṛtā
अखण्डे तु चरे पूजा सम्पूर्णफलदायिनी। द्विखण्डे तु चरे पूजा महाहानिप्रदा स्मृता॥
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
FAQs
It teaches that steadiness (akhaṇḍatā) in Shiva-worship preserves the full spiritual potency of the act, while broken attention and interrupted observance diminishes the merit and inner transformation that puja is meant to produce.
Linga-puja is a Saguna form of approaching Pati (Lord Shiva). The verse emphasizes that the offering of mantra, water, bilva, and reverent attention should be continuous and orderly, because the devotee’s uninterrupted bhakti is what makes the external rite spiritually complete.
Maintain an unbroken flow of worship—keep the japa of the Panchakshara ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") steady and avoid leaving the puja midway; if performing abhiṣeka, do it with continuous remembrance and focused mind rather than scattered, stop-start attention.