Adhyaya 89: शौचाचारलक्षणम् — सदाचार, भैक्ष्यचर्या, प्रायश्चित्त, द्रव्यशुद्धि, आशौच-निर्णय
गन्धवर्णरसैर्दुष्टम् अशुचिस्थानसंस्थितम् पङ्काश्मदूषितं चैव सामुद्रं पल्वलोदकम्
gandhavarṇarasairduṣṭam aśucisthānasaṃsthitam paṅkāśmadūṣitaṃ caiva sāmudraṃ palvalodakam
Nước bị hư hoại về mùi, sắc và vị—đọng ở nơi ô uế, bị bùn và đá làm nhiễm bẩn, dù là nước biển hay nước ao tù—đều phải xem là bất tịnh cho việc thờ phụng.
Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva-puja guidelines within the Linga Purana tradition)
It defines unacceptable water for abhiṣeka and offering, emphasizing śauca (ritual purity) so that the devotee’s offering aligns with Shiva’s sanctity in Linga-puja.
By insisting on pure offerings, it implies Shiva as Pati—the supremely pure Lord—approached through disciplined purity that helps the pashu (soul) loosen pasha (bondage) via right conduct.
Puja-vidhi centered on śauca: selecting clean, untainted water for worship; this outer discipline supports inner steadiness in Pashupata-oriented sadhana.