Question
What is the significance of pouring milk on the Shivling?
Answer
From shivmandirsarthali.com: (emphasis mine)
Abhishek is a Sanskrit term denoting a devotional activity of giving Holy bath to a deity. It literally means “to cleanse.” Before starting the ritual, a devotee washes his hands and pours water over the Ling. However, this practice is not to cleanse the Ling, as God doesn’t need any cleansing. He is the purest—but it is an implication of cleaning oneself. Later milk is poured on the Shiv Ling, which is a connotation of purifying one’s life and washing all the sins from oneself.
The practice is not to clean the Ling but the person itself. It washes all the sins from oneself and purify one's life.
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