Shloka 1

आचार्य-धर्मलक्षण-श्रद्धाभक्तिप्राधान्यं तथा लिङ्गे ध्यान-पूजाविधानसंकेतः

Adhyaya 10

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच सतां जितात्मनां साक्षाद् द्विजातीनां द्विजोत्तमाः धर्मज्ञानां च साधूनाम् आचार्याणां शिवात्मनाम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca satāṃ jitātmanāṃ sākṣād dvijātīnāṃ dvijottamāḥ dharmajñānāṃ ca sādhūnām ācāryāṇāṃ śivātmanām

Translation

قال سوتا: «يا أفضلَ ذوي الولادتين، يا أهلَ الصدق الذين قهروا العقل والحواس، والظاهرين أسمى من بين أهل التلقين؛ يا عارفي الدارما والمعرفة، أيها الصالحون، أيها المعلّمون الذين قامت ذواتهم الباطنة في شيفا».

Word by Word

• सूत उवाच: Sūta said

• सताम्: of the good/true ones

• जितात्मनाम्: of those who have mastered the self (mind and senses)

• साक्षात्: directly, manifestly, in truth

• द्विजातीनाम्: among the twice-born (initiated classes)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born

• धर्मज्ञानाम्: of those who know dharma

• च: and

• साधूनाम्: of saints/virtuous ones

• आचार्याणाम्: of teachers/preceptors

• शिवात्मनाम्: of those whose self is Śiva-centered/Śiva-ensouled

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Suta

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It establishes the authority of Śiva-centered ācāryas and sādhus as the proper transmitters of Linga-related dharma, grounding worship in disciplined self-mastery (jitātmā) rather than mere external ritual.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Śiva-tattva is implied as the inner ground of realized teachers—“śivātmā”—suggesting that true knowledge of dharma culminates in identity-with/abidance-in Pati (Śiva), the Lord beyond bondage.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse highlights the yogic prerequisite of self-conquest (jitātmā)—a core Pāśupata orientation—by which the paśu (soul) becomes fit for Śiva-upāsanā and the removal of pāśa (bondage).