Bhasma dharana and Linga archana – Mahabharata
In the Anushasanika Parva 13, in chapter 247 there is a conversation between Shiva and Parvati. It is a small chapter where the Pashupata Yoga is described. Shiva says with respect to Bhasma:
रक्षार्थं मङ्गलार्थं च पवित्रार्थं च भामिनि।
लिङ्गार्थं चैव भक्तानां भस्म दत्तं मया पुरा॥ 13-247-14 (91207)
तेन संदिग्धसर्वाङ्गा भस्मना ब्रह्मचारिणः।
जटिला मुण्डिता वाऽपि नानाकारशिखण्डिनः॥ 13-247-15
[NilakanTha has cited the first verse above in his commentary to the Siva Sahasra Nama (‘bhasmagopta’, with a variation: laanChanaartham instead of lingaartham) of the Mahabharata]
[For the sake of protection, auspiciousness, purity, O beloved, for identity (mark), of the devotees, in the yore the bhasma was ordained by Me. Applying it all over their bodies (in the prescribed manner), brahmacharins, vanaprasthas or sannyasins (of tonsured head) and those sporting a variety of tufts….
स्थापितं त्रिषु लोकेषु शिवलिङ्गं मया मम।
नमस्कारेण वा तस्य मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः॥ 13-247-20..
[In all the three worlds I have consecrated the Shiva Linga. Even by prostrating to it one is freed of all demerits.]
And a detailed method of offering worship to the Shiva Linga is stated.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं योगं पाशुपतं महत्।
[I have rendered the exalted Pashupata Yoga in its complete form, O Devi.]
The above verses are taken from the Kumbhakonam edition:
https://sanskritdocuments.org/…/mb…/mahabharata-k-13-sa.html
//This e-text is based on the `Southern Recension’ of the Mahābhārata, edited by Krishnacharya 1906–1914. Prof. Shrinivasa Varakhedi worked on this with the support of his research team members, Prof. K. V. Ramakrishnamacharyulu, Prof. Amba Kulakarni, Prof. Prahladachar, members of MSP Bangalore and many others. Dr. Dominik Wujastyk converted the files to utf-8 IAST encoding and Patrick Mc Allister converted them into a single XML file for the SARIT project in 2012.//
मद्भक्ता न विनश्यन्ति मद्भक्ता वीतकल्मषाः।
मद्भक्ताः सर्वलोकेषु पूजनीया विशेषतः॥ 13-247-35 (91228)
मद्द्वेषिणश्च ये मर्त्या मद्भक्तद्वेषिणश्च वा।
यान्ति ते नरकं घोरमिष्ट्वा क्रतुशतैरपि॥ 13-247-36 (91229)
Shiva says: My devotees never perish; My devotees are free of taints. My devotees are worthy of especial worship in all the worlds. Those people who hate me or my devotees will attain to horrible hell even if they have performed hundreds of vedic yajnas.
warm regards
Adbhutam's Blog 
Hi,
I just came across the following blog which claims Shaivism (Pasupata) was refuted by Veda vyasa in Brahmasutras.
https://nitaigaurangablog.wordpress.com/2017/03/25/pasupata-system-reviewed-by-sri-vyasadeva/
Is this true?
By: Muni on May 21, 2022
at 1:35 am
A Shaivite school has been refuted in this Brahma sutras. This is because this school holds Paramashiva to be just the nimitta karana, efficient cause, of creation and hence he cannot be truly omniscient. There are some other issues also involved in this, an elaboration of which can be seen in the Shankaracharyas bhashya for this Sutra and the rest of the sutras in that section.
By: adbhutam on May 21, 2022
at 7:09 am
One should remember the fact that a Śaiva school getting refuted has simply got nothing to do with शिवस्य परत्वम्। शिवः is svayam भगवान्
pāśupata school or xyzw school of thoughts haven’t indeed got refuted because they treat शिवः as परः
Just as how पाञ्चरात्रम् has been refuted by वैदिकसम्प्रदायविदाचार्याः, Śaiva school was also refuted due to some other reasons.
जगद्गुरुः very clearly mentions in his ब्रह्मसूत्रभाष्यम् that the lord अविमुक्तः is supreme. अविमुक्तः is undoubtedly पार्वत्याः पतिः
The blogger that you have quoted is an ignorant of सनातनधर्मः, he is an ISKCON non devotee, he (Joy das) neither has any भक्तिः nor he know the language of scriptures. They keep quoting their baseless preachers statements, where all their dvaitam claims was already refuted by भगवान् भाष्यकारः श्रीजगद्गुरुः
They are just displaying their non devotion.
ओन्नमश्शिवाय। 🙏🏼
By: विवेकः (vivekaḥ) on May 21, 2022
at 12:24 pm