Adhyaya 79 — Bhakti-Mahima and Linga-Archana-Vidhi
Condensed Ritual Sequence
सम्प्रोक्तं रुद्रगायत्र्या आसनं प्रणवेन वै पञ्चभिः स्नपनं प्रोक्तं रुद्राद्यैश् च विशेषतः
samproktaṃ rudragāyatryā āsanaṃ praṇavena vai pañcabhiḥ snapanaṃ proktaṃ rudrādyaiś ca viśeṣataḥ
ஆசனச் செயல் ருத்ர-காயத்ரியாலும், நிச்சயமாக பிரணவம் (ஓம்) மூலமும் விதிக்கப்பட்டது. ஸ்நபனம் (அபிஷேகம்) ஐந்து சுத்தி மந்திரங்களாலும், குறிப்பாக ருத்ர மந்திராதிகளாலும் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது।
Suta Goswami (narrating Linga-puja vidhi to the sages of Naimisharanya)
It prescribes mantra-governed upacāras: offering the āsana with Rudra-Gāyatrī and Oṁ, and performing snapana/abhisheka with a set of five purifying formulas, emphasizing Rudra-mantras as central to Linga-pūjā.
By centering Praṇava and Rudra-mantras, it implies Shiva as Pati—the mantra-revealed Lord whose presence is invoked and stabilized through sound (śabda) and rite, purifying the pashu (soul) from pāśa (bondage) via disciplined worship.
Mantra-nyasta upacāra in Linga-pūjā: āsana with Rudra-Gāyatrī and Oṁ, and snapana (abhisheka) performed through five mantra-formulas, aligning outer ritual with inner Pāśupata-style mantra-discipline.