Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 52
मृत्युञ्जय-विद्या-प्रादुर्भावः
The Manifestation/Transmission of the Mṛtyuñjaya Vidyā
इति दत्त्वा वरान्देवस्तत्र लिंगे लयं ययौ । भार्गवोऽपि निजं धाम प्राप संतुष्टमानसः
iti dattvā varāndevastatra liṃge layaṃ yayau | bhārgavo'pi nijaṃ dhāma prāpa saṃtuṣṭamānasaḥ
یوں برکتیں عطا کر کے وہ دیوتا اسی لِنگ میں لَی ہو گئے۔ اور بھارگو بھی پوری تسکینِ دل کے ساتھ اپنے دھام کو پہنچ گیا۔
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: The Lord, after granting boons, ‘enters/merges’ into the liṅga at that very site—an archetypal sthala motif explaining why the liṅga is treated as Śiva’s abiding, accessible presence after a theophany.
Significance: Darśana of a liṅga understood as Śiva’s ‘laya’/abiding presence: worship there is held to yield boons and the assurance of the Lord’s nearness even after the visible manifestation withdraws.
Cosmic Event: Localized theophany concluding in liṅga-abidance (a microcosmic ‘withdrawal’ motif rather than mahāpralaya).
FAQs
The verse highlights Shiva’s grace: after granting boons, He “merges” into the Liṅga, indicating that the Liṅga is not merely a symbol but the abiding presence of Pati (Shiva) accessible to devotees, leading to peace and fulfillment.
Shiva entering the Liṅga affirms Saguna worship: the Lord becomes present in a consecrated form for devotees. Liṅga-upāsanā is thus a direct mode of approaching Shiva’s compassion and protection while pointing toward His subtler, transcendent reality.
A practical takeaway is steady Liṅga-pūjā with bhakti—offering water, bilva leaves, and japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya)—cultivating inner contentment (saṃtuṣṭa-mānasaḥ) through Shiva’s grace.