Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)
Partial text — Vidyeśvara and Vāyavīya Saṃhitās only
When the revered sage Vyāsa approached the illustrious Kumāra—Sanatkumāra—and humbly requested him to reveal the certain cause of liberation, Kumāra, fully capable and wise, spoke before the foremost of Brāhmins. He explained that the three great means—hearing, praising, and contemplating Śambhu (Śiva)—are the supreme practices, affirmed by the Vedas as the path to liberation. Kumāra then recounted a time in the past when he himself had been confused and unsettled, searching among various means for the highest good. In that state of uncertainty, he journeyed to the immovable Mandara mountain and undertook severe austerities there. It was then, by the command of Śiva, that the venerable Lord Nandikeśvara appeared before him. Nandikeśvara, the compassionate Lord, the witness of all, and the leader of the Gaṇas, spoke with great affection, revealing to Kumāra the supreme means of liberation: hearing, praising, and contemplating Śambhu, as sanctioned by the Vedas. Nandikeśvara told Kumāra that this threefold method had been spoken by Śiva himself, who urged, “O Brāhman, practice hearing and the rest again and again.” Having imparted this teaching, the joyful Lord Nandikeśvara, accompanied by his followers, ascended into his splendid aerial chariot and departed for his most excellent abode. Thus, Kumāra summarized the ancient account and declared to Sūta that the threefold means—beginning with hearing—had now been revealed as the way to liberation. Yet, a question arose: If someone is unable to practice this triad of hearing, praising, and contemplating, by what other action—without great effort—might a person attain liberation? Kumāra answered: If one is unable to pursue the triad beginning with hearing, one should establish a liṅga or image of Śaṅkara (Śiva), worship it daily, and in this way cross over the ocean of worldly existence. Even if a person can only bring humble offerings, according to their means and with sincerity, they should offer these to the liṅga or image and worship without ceasing. With devotion, one should offer a pavilion, gateway, sacred place, monastery, field, festival, cloth, fragrance, garland, incense, and lamp. One should also present foods of various kinds, cakes and side dishes, an umbrella, banner, fan, and chowrie with all their accessories. The liṅga and image should be honored with all royal respects, circumambulated, saluted, and praised through recitation, as one is able. With great devotion, the daily rituals—beginning with invocation and ending with conclusion—should be performed, thus worshipping the Lord in the liṅga and image of Śaṅkara. By Śiva’s grace, even those who cannot practice hearing and the rest may attain success; indeed, the great ones of old were liberated simply by worshipping the liṅga and image. Everywhere, the hosts of deities are worshipped in the form of images. But how is it that Śiva is worshipped everywhere in both the liṅga and the image? This, Kumāra declared, is a most virtuous and wondrous question, for in this matter only Mahādeva himself is the authority—none other. Kumāra then recounted what Śiva himself had spoken, as it had been passed down from teacher to disciple: Śiva, being of the nature of Brahman, is called “without parts.” Yet because he also possesses form, he is “with parts.” Thus, Śiva is both with and without parts. Because he is without parts, his liṅga is formless and united with him; because he is with parts, the image is his form. Being of both natures, he is rightly called “Brahman,” the supreme. Thus, both the liṅga and the image are always worshipped by people. The other deities are not Brahman, and so they are never truly without parts. Therefore, the formless liṅga is not worshipped by the lords of the gods, and the other hosts of deities, being living beings and not Brahman, are worshipped only in images. Only the image, being with parts, is worshipped in silence. The others are living beings, but Śaṅkara alone is Brahman. This truth is established by the essence of Vedānta and revealed by the meaning of the sacred syllable Om (Pranava). In ancient times, Nandikeśvara was asked about this on Mandara mountain by Sanatkumāra, the wise son of Brahmā, concerning Śiva and all the other dependent deities. It is always the image that is heard of and seen as the object of worship, but in the worship of Śiva alone are both the liṅga and the image observed. Upon hearing this, Sanatkumāra asked for the true principle behind this distinction, recognizing it as the secret and the mark of Brahman. Kumāra then related what Śiva had declared: because Śiva is Brahman and without parts, his liṅga is formless and accepted in all the Vedas for worship. Yet, because he is also with parts, he is both with and without parts, and thus the image is likewise accepted everywhere for worship. The other deities, being living beings and with parts, are worshipped only in images, and when the gods manifest, it is only in forms with parts. Thus, in the worship of Śiva, both the liṅga and the image are seen, and this distinction marks the supreme reality. The propagation of the liṅga and image is unique to Śiva, and the difference between him and the other deities is made in ultimate truth. Therefore, the supreme arises from the liṅga and image of Śiva. Sanatkumāra then expressed his desire to hear the marks of the manifestation of the liṅga. Kumāra, out of affection, agreed to speak the highest truth. He recounted that long ago, at the end of a great age, when the world was celebrated, Brahmā and Viṣṇu, those two great souls, began to dispute with each other. To dispel their pride, the Supreme Lord appeared between them in the form of an endless pillar, revealing his true nature. From the sign of his own liṅga, Śiva, as the pillar, manifested his liṅga, wishing for the welfare of all beings. From that time onward, in all the worlds, the liṅga of the Lord has been considered formless, while the image with form is established as Śiva’s representation. For the other gods, only the image is established for worship, and each god’s image grants their respective enjoyments. But the liṅga-image of Śiva bestows both enjoyment and liberation, and is ever auspicious.