Chapter 5 of 25 · Vidyeshvara Samhita · Overall chapter 12 of 464
Greatness of the Lingam
For those unable to follow shravana, kirtana and manana, Suta offers lingam worship as the alternative path to the same goal. Asked why Shiva alone, among all deities, is worshipped both as lingam and as image, Suta explains: Shiva alone is both nishkala (formless, the brahman itself) and sakala (with form) - every other deity possesses only a jivatman and so is worshipped in image form alone.
Suta said
To cross the ocean of samsara, a person who cannot follow the three means, shravana and the rest, should set up Shankara's sign, the lingam, and worship it daily. For unlimited wealth he should always worship the lingam. As his means allow he should offer things to it, but without cheating others. He should serve devotedly by building pavilions, gates, holy places, monasteries and sacred fields and holding festivals. He should devoutly offer garments, fragrances, garlands, incense and lamps. He should offer many kinds of food, cakes and dishes, with umbrellas, banners, whisks, fans and other accessories. All this kingly worship is to be offered to the sign of the lingam. As he is able he should bow, circle it and do japa. Devoutly he should always perform invocation and other virtuous rites. So one should worship Shankara's sign, the lingam. Even if one gives up shravana and the rest, one can please Shiva this way and succeed. Great people of old were freed only by worshipping the sign of the lingam.
The sages asked
All the many gods are worshipped everywhere only in the form of their images. How is it that Shiva is worshipped everywhere both as an image and as a lingam?
Suta replied
Lords among sages, this is an extremely wonderful and sacred question. On this the speaker is Mahadeva himself and no other. I will tell you in order what Shiva said, which I heard from my guru's mouth. Shiva alone is called partless, the form of the brahman. Since he also has a form with parts, he is both with parts and without. As partless and formless he can be approached as the lingam. As having parts and form he can be approached as an image. Other divinities are not called the brahman. So they have forms with parts and are not partless. That is why people always worship him in the sign of the lingam, while the others are not the brahman's form and are never partless. That is why other lords among the gods are never worshipped by partless signs. The many other gods are not forms of the brahman and have individual selves. They are worshipped silently only in forms with parts, through images. Apart from Shankara the others have individual selves, and Shankara is the brahman. In explaining the meaning of Pranava it has been established that he is the essence of Vedanta. Long ago, on the slopes of Mount Mandara, the wise Sanatkumara, Brahma's son, asked Nandikeshvara this.
Sanatkumara said
Except for Shiva, all the other gods are seen worshipped everywhere in the form of images. Only Shiva is seen worshipped both as lingam and as image. Fortunate one, please tell me the true answer to this and awaken my understanding.
Nandikeshvara replied
This question cannot be answered without revealing the truth about the sign of the brahman. Faultless one, since you are full of devotion, I will tell you what Shiva himself said. Since Shiva's form is the brahman, he is partless. Therefore he is always worshipped as the partless lingam, in line with the Vedas. Since he has both forms, with parts and without, he is also worshipped as having parts, and worship of a form with parts is honoured in this world as well. Except for Shiva all the others have individual selves, so they are worshipped only as images, in line with the Vedic ruling. Since the others have their own manifestations, they must be worshipped only in forms with parts. Indeed, the texts say that Shiva can be seen as both lingam and image.
Sanatkumara said
Fortunate one, you have told of the practice of both lingam and image for Shiva for gaining the supreme goal, and of image worship for the others. So the supreme sign of this god is the manifestation of the lingam. Lord of yogis, I want to hear about the manifestation of the lingam.
Nandikeshvara replied
Child, listen. Out of affection for you I will tell you of this supreme goal. In an earlier kalpa, we hear, the worlds were distressed by the coming of Mahakala. The great-souled Brahma and Vishnu fought with each other. To destroy their arrogance, Parameshvara showed himself between them as a partless column. He showed them his own form. He showed them his own lingam as a sign, with partless Shiva in that column. For the welfare of the universe he showed them his own lingam. Since then Ishvara's form as the partless lingam and Shiva's image with parts have been accepted in the worlds. Except for Shiva, all the other gods are thought of only in the form of images. The images of gods give only auspicious pleasures. Shiva's lingam and image give both auspicious pleasures and liberation.
Retold in our own words from Bibek Debroy's English translation of the Shiva Purana (Penguin Classics). Names, numbers and the order of events follow the source.