Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 102
Adhyāya 25 — Liṅga-māhātmya (The Chapter on the Liṅga): Hari’s Śiva-Worship and the Fiery Pillar Theophany
ततः प्रभृति लोकेषु लिङ्गार्चा सुप्रतिष्ठिता / लिङ्ग तल्लयनाद् ब्रह्मन् ब्रह्मणः परमं वपुः
tataḥ prabhṛti lokeṣu liṅgārcā supratiṣṭhitā / liṅga tallayanād brahman brahmaṇaḥ paramaṃ vapuḥ
அதன்பின் உலகமெங்கும் லிங்காராதனை உறுதியாக நிலைபெற்றது. ஓ பிரம்மனே, லிங்கம்—அனைத்து வடிவங்களையும் பரமத்தில் லயிக்கச் செய்யும் குறியுருவாய்—பிரம்மத்தின் உன்னத உடலென போற்றப்படுகிறது।
Narrator/Sūta (Purāṇic narrator addressing a Brahmin sage)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It presents the Liṅga as a supreme “sign” of Brahman: not a limited idol, but a pointer to the Absolute into which names and forms dissolve (laya), aligning worship with realization of the non-limited Brahman.
The verse implies laya-oriented contemplation: using the Liṅga as a support (ālambana) for worship and meditation so the mind resolves (līyate) from external forms toward Brahman—an approach compatible with Pāśupata-leaning Śaiva practice integrated with Purāṇic devotion.
By defining Liṅga-worship as oriented to Brahman itself (the supreme reality), it supports the Kurma Purana’s synthetic stance: sectarian forms function as gateways to one Absolute, allowing Śaiva symbols to harmonize with broader Vaiṣṇava-Purāṇic theology.