Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 4
The Account of the Lalitā Hymn, the Protective Armor
Kavaca), and the Thousand Names (Sahasranāma
गुरुस्तोत्रं जपेच्चापि तद्गतेनांतरात्मना । नमस्ते नाथ भगवञ्शिवाय गुरुरूपिणे ॥ ४ ॥
gurustotraṃ japeccāpi tadgatenāṃtarātmanā | namaste nātha bhagavañśivāya gururūpiṇe || 4 ||
One should also recite the Guru-hymn, with the inner self absorbed in Him. “Salutations to You, O Nātha—O Bhagavān Śiva—who appear in the form of the Guru.”
Narada (teaching in a didactic context within Purva Bhaga)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It teaches that stotra-japa becomes spiritually effective when the practitioner’s antar-ātman (inner self) is absorbed in the divine reality embodied as the Guru, here revered as Śiva.
Bhakti is expressed through reverential chanting (japa) and surrender (namas), combined with focused inward devotion—seeing the Guru as the living form of the Lord.
It highlights disciplined japa-practice: correct, repeated recitation of a stotra together with mental concentration (tad-gata antar-ātman), a key practical principle used across mantra and ritual traditions.