27 - Worship of Linga 

Nandin said: 

1. Listen, I shall briefly mention the rules of procedure for the worship of Linga. It is not possible to recount them in detail even in a hundred years. 

2. After bathing thus160 in a befitting manner the devotee shall enter the place of worship, take three prāņāyāmas and meditate on the three-eyed lord. 

160. It refers to the threefold bath, namely Varuna, Agneya and māntra

3-4. He shall resort to the form of the deity as follows. He has five faces and ten arms. He shines like pure crystal. He is bedecked in all ornaments and clothes of variegated colours. By means of certain Tantric practices such as dāhana, plävana etc., he shall transform himself into the body of lord Shiva and begin to worship him. 

5. After purifying the body he shall perform the rite of Nyāsa of the müla mantras. Everywhere the five Brahmans (Sadyojāta etc.) shall be fixed with the Pranava in order. 

6-7. In the highly splendid aphorism viz., "Namah Shivaya" the Vedas are present in subtle form Just as the holy fig tree is present in the subtle seed of the Nyagrodha so also the great Brahman is present in the great and splendid aphorism, all by Himself in a subtle form. 

8. The devotee shall sprinkle with scented sandal water, and consecrate the materials of worship either by washing or by sprinkling water. 

9-10. The washing and sprinkling is performed by repeating the Pranava. The intelligent devotee shall duly cover the vessels with a cloth; these are the Prokshani (vessel containing holy water), Arghya, Padya and Achamaniya vessels. 

11. These shall be covered with Darbha grass and sprinkled with pure water. He shall then pour cool water in the different vessels. 

12. The intelligent devotee shall pour water in them after observing the materials. He shall place sandal in the Padya. 

13. He shall duly powder nutmeg (Jāti), momordicha mixta (Kankola seed), the root of Bahumúla (a herb), Xanthocymus epictorius (Tamala seed) and camphor and put the same in the Achamaniya vessel. 

14. Similarly he shall put camphor, sandal and different kinds of flowers in all the vessels. 

15. He shall put tips of Kušha grass, unbroken rice grains, barley grains, cereals, gingelly seeds, ghee, white mustard flowers and ashes in the Arghya vessel. 

16. Repeating the Praņava he shall put Kuśha grass, flowers, barley grains, bits of Bahumula herb and Tamāla root as well as ashes into the Prokşhani vessel. 

17. He shall perform the rite of Nyäsa of the five-syllabled Mantra, and of Rudra Gāyatrī or only of Pranava--the excellent essence of the Vedas. 

18. Thereafter he shall sprinkle the materials of worship with water from the Prokşhaņi vessel, repeating Pranava as well as the five Yajus beginning with Ishāna. 

19-21. By the (right) side the lord of Devas, Nandin, i.e., myself, shall be worshipped. I shall be the the luster of ten thousand blazing fires, three eyes, the face of a monkey, four arms, the crescent moon at Coronet, wearing flower garlands, gentle, and bedecked in all ornaments. My wife Suyaśhā the auspicious and holy laugher of the Maruts shall be worshipped to the north of myself.162 She who performs holy rites shall be engaged the embellishing the feet of Amba (Goddess Parvati). 

22-23. After worshipping and ending with Namas he shall conceive of a lotus seat164 for the deity, by repeating the Praņava. 

164. padmāsana: see p. 35 note 47 

25-28. Its imperishable petal in the East shall be Animā; Laghimā shall be the petal in the South; Mahimă the Western petal; Prāpti the Northern, Prākāmyam the South-eastern, Ishitva the South-western, Vashitva the North-western, Omniscience the North-eastern petal. The moon will be the pericarp. Beneath the moon is the Sun and beneath the Sun the fire-god. Dharma165 and others shall be installed in the subsidiary quarters166. He shall then instal Ananta. He shall instal Avyakta etc. in the four quarter in order and the three Guņas at the extremity of Soma. 

165. Dharmādayah -a group of four, viz., dharma (virtue), jñāna (knowledge), vairāgya (detachment) and aishvarya (supremacy or super natural power). 

166. Avyaktādi-a group of four, viz. pradhã: (invisible prakruti), mahat (intellect), ahamkāra (ego), and manas (mind) 

29-34. Above it he shall instal the three Atman167 and in the end Shiva's pedestal. Repeating the Mantra "I resort to Sadyojata"168 he shall invoke the supreme lord with the Mantra of Vāmadeva he shall instal Him over the seat with Rudragāyatri he shall establish His presense and with Aghora Mantra he shall stabilise the presence of deity. He shall then worship with the Mantra 'Ishanah Sarvavidyānām.169 He shall then offer Pädya, Āchamaniya and Arghya to the lord. In accordance with the injunctions he shall be the Rudra with scented sandal paste water. After gathering Pañcha Gavya ma vessel and after inspiring it with Pranava he shall bathe the deity with Panchagavya. R????? the Pranava he shall perform the rite of ablution to the deity (successively) with ghee honey, sugar-cane juice and other holy materials up worship. With holy Mantras, using pure Vessels he shall pour water over the deity. 

167. ātma-trayam-a trio consisting of Viśhva, Taijasa and Präjña. 

168, "sadyojātam prapadyāmi”. Mark the use of parasmaipada in 'prapadyāmi' for the grammatically correct form ‘prapadye' in ātmanepada. 

169. iśhnaḥ sarvavidyānām TA. 10.47. 

35-39. The aspirant shall wipe it off with a white cloth. He shall put Kuśha grass, Apāmārga, camphor, Jasmine, China rose, white jasmines, lotuses, lilies, white oleanders and other flowers into the water along with sandal paste. He shall inspire the water by repeating the Mantras of Sadyojāta. The water may be taken in a vessel made of gold, silver or copper. It may be in a lotus cup or a cup of palāśha. The conch or an earthern jar can be used. In the latter case it should be fresh and well washed. Repeating the requisite Mantras, he shall bathe the deity in the water containing Kusha grass170 or flowers. For all achievements he shall repeat the Mantras. Now I shall mention the mantras to you; please listen. 

170. sakürchena-kűrcha is a handful of kušha grass used in religious rites. 

40-45. A man who worships the Linga even once with the following Mantras will be liberated. Those who are conversant with the Mantra Shāstra use the following Mantras for the rite of Ablution: Pavamāna,171 Vāma,172 Rudra,173 Nīla174 Rudra, Śhrīsūkta,175 Rātrisūkta,176 Chamaka Hotāra, Atharvaśhiras, Shanti, Bhārunda, Aruna, Väruna, Jyeșhtha, Vedavrata, Rathantara, Puruşha, Tvarita, Rudra,177 Kapi, Kapardi, the Sāman À vo rājānam,178 Bruhacchandra, Vişhnu, Virūpākşha Mantra, Skanda, a group of hundred hymns, the hymns of Pañcha Brahmans, Pañchakshara Mantra or Pranava alone. 

171. pavamāna-a group of mantras designated after their sanctifying efficiency. 

172. Vámiyaka-Vāma sūkta beginning with 'asya vāmasya'. 

173. Rudreņa-Rudra mantras of Rudrādhyāya also called Shatarudriya. ST. quotes from Shiva-rahasya: Vedeshu Shatarudrīyam devatāsu maheshvarah. 

174. Nilarudrena-Atharvavediyaih tatsamjñakair mantraih ST, Rudra mantras of the Atharvaveda-samhită. 

175. Shri súkta RV.

176. Rātri sūkta RV.

177. tvarita, see p. 102 note. 142

178. á vo rājānam TS 1.3.12.1. 

46-48. The devotee shall bathe the lord of the chiefs of Devas for the suppression of all sins. He shall then offer the following to the deity: Clothes, the sacred thread, Āchamanīya, scents and flowers, incense, light, cooked rice, scented water and Āchamaniya once again. Thereafter he shall offer a crown, an umbrella and ornaments. Repeating the Pranava alone he shall offer the scented betel. 

49-54. On the top of the Linga he shall worship the unsullied, imperishable Lord, shining like a crystal glass, the cause of all Devas, identical with the universe, imperceptible to the sages, Devas, Brahma, Indra, Vişhnu, Rudra and others. The Shruti says "He is imperceptible through even Vedāntas, to the knowers of the Vedas too". He is devoid of beginning, middle and end. He is a medicine unto those who are afflicted by the sickness of worldliness,179 He is known as Shivatattva (Principle of Shiva) and is stationed in the Shiva Linga. He shall duly repeat the prayers and make obeisance. He shall circumambulate, offer Arghya, scatter flowers at the feet, how to the lord of Devas and superimpose Shiva on the Atman. This, in brief, is the procedure of worshipping Shiva in Linga. Now I shall describe the internal worship of Linga to you. 

179. bheshajam bhava roginām Cf. bhişhaktamam tvām bhishajāmśhruņomi. RV. 2.33.4.