Shloka 34
Liṅga-pratiṣṭhāvidhiḥ — Installation Standards and Auspicious Parameters for Liṅga Worship
अंगुष्ठादावपि तथा पूजामिच्छंति केचन । लिंगकर्मणि सर्वत्र निषेधोस्ति न कर्हिचित्
aṃguṣṭhādāvapi tathā pūjāmicchaṃti kecana | liṃgakarmaṇi sarvatra niṣedhosti na karhicit
Có những tín đồ còn muốn cử hành lễ bái bắt đầu từ ngón cái và các ngón tay khác (theo phép đã định). Trong mọi nghi thức liên quan đến Śiva-liṅga, chưa từng có sự cấm đoán vào bất cứ lúc nào—sự thờ phụng ấy luôn được phép.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the teachings of the Śiva Purāṇa to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: Not a site-specific (sthala) passage; it lays down a general rule of adhikāra: liṅga-sevā is not barred by time, place, or minor procedural variation, emphasizing Śiva’s accessibility through the liṅga.
Significance: Affirms that liṅga-worship is universally permissible; encourages constant devotion and removes anxiety about prohibitions (niṣedha), thereby supporting steady sādhana.
FAQs
It emphasizes Śiva’s grace and accessibility: Liṅga-worship is not restricted by rigid prohibitions, so sincere devotion can be expressed through simple, permissible methods that purify the soul (paśu) and turn it toward Pati (Śiva).
The verse affirms that worship of the Śiva-liṅga (a Saguna focus for devotion) can be performed in many valid ways; the essential element is reverence and right intention, not excessive ritual anxiety.
It supports simple Liṅga-pūjā done with the hands (even beginning with thumb/fingers as per one’s tradition), accompanied by bhakti and, where applicable, japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya.”