Shloka 3
Pārthiva-Śiva-liṅga-māhātmya
The Excellence of the Earthen Śiva Liṅga
सूत उवाच । शृणुध्वमृषयः सर्वे सद्भक्त्या हरतो खिलाः । शिवपार्थिवलिंगस्य महिमा प्रोच्यते मया
sūta uvāca | śṛṇudhvamṛṣayaḥ sarve sadbhaktyā harato khilāḥ | śivapārthivaliṃgasya mahimā procyate mayā
సూతుడు పలికెను—ఓ ఋషులారా, మీరు అందరూ సద్భక్తితో వినండి, సమస్త విఘ్నాలను విడిచిపెట్టండి. ఇప్పుడు నేను శివుని పార్థివ లింగ మహిమను ప్రకటిస్తున్నాను।
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: Introductory proclamation to a section on the pārthiva-liṅga’s mahimā; not a Jyotirliṅga sthala narrative.
Significance: Frames inner pilgrimage: removing ‘khilāḥ’ (mental scatter/impediments) and listening with sad-bhakti is itself preparatory purification for Śiva’s grace.
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse frames Pārthiva Liṅga worship as a focused, devotion-led sādhana: by abandoning mental scatter and listening with faith, one becomes fit to receive the liṅga-mahātmya that leads the soul (paśu) toward Śiva (Pati) through grace.
It introduces the liṅga as Śiva’s accessible saguna support for devotion and concentration—especially the earthen liṅga made and worshiped with one’s own hands—through which the formless Lord is adored in a tangible, scripturally sanctioned form.
The immediate practice is inner preparation: remove distractions and approach with steady bhakti; in Pārthiva Liṅga pūjā this typically pairs with japa of the Panchākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” while offering water, bilva, and simple upacāras with a one-pointed mind.