Shiva Purana — Kotirudra Samhita, Shloka 34
Dāruvana-parīkṣā: Śaṅkara’s Test and the Linga’s Ritual-Theological Grounding
कुम्भमेकं च संस्थाप्य कृत्वाष्टदलमुत्तमम् । दूर्वायवांकुरैस्तीर्थोदकमापूरयेत्ततः
kumbhamekaṃ ca saṃsthāpya kṛtvāṣṭadalamuttamam | dūrvāyavāṃkuraistīrthodakamāpūrayettataḥ
ஒரு கும்பத்தை நிறுவி சிறந்த அஷ்டதள (தாமரை வடிவ) அமைப்பைச் செய்ய வேண்டும். பின்னர் தூர்வா புல், யவ முளைகள் சேர்த்து தீர்த்த நீரால் அதை நிரப்ப வேண்டும்.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Significance: Use of tīrtha-water signifies drawing sanctity from sacred geography into the domestic/temple rite; supports purification and eligibility (adhikāra) for Śiva-pūjā.
Role: nurturing
FAQs
It prescribes a pure, ordered preparation for Shiva worship—sanctifying the space (aṣṭadala) and the offering (kumbha with tīrtha-water), expressing bhakti through disciplined ritual that supports inner purification.
The kumbha and eight-petalled arrangement function as sacred supports (upacāras) for Saguna Shiva worship, preparing the devotee to approach the Linga with consecrated substances and focused reverence.
A practical pūjā-step: establish a kumbha on an eight-petalled design and fill it with tīrtha-water mixed with durvā and barley sprouts—an external act that steadies the mind for mantra-japa and Linga-upāsanā.