Shloka 26
श्वशुरोऽपि हि ते मान्यस्सर्वत्र गुणशीलतः । ततो न त्रपसे किन्नस्त्यज दुर्वृत्ततां सुत
śvaśuro'pi hi te mānyassarvatra guṇaśīlataḥ | tato na trapase kinnastyaja durvṛttatāṃ suta
Your father-in-law too is worthy of honor, renowned everywhere for virtue and good conduct. Why, then, do you feel no shame? Therefore, my son, abandon this wicked behavior.
Brahmā (inferred narrator within Sṛṣṭi Khaṇḍa moral instruction context)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Tatpuruṣa
FAQs
It teaches dharma as a prerequisite for spiritual ascent: honoring the virtuous and abandoning corrupt conduct purifies the mind, making it fit for devotion to Pati (Śiva) and for liberation.
Linga/Saguna-Śiva worship in the Purāṇa is not merely ritual; it is supported by right conduct (ācāra). Without ethical restraint and respect for the righteous, external worship lacks the inner purity that makes it spiritually fruitful.
The verse primarily urges ethical self-correction; as a practical takeaway, pair daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with a vow of avoiding durācāra (harmful speech and actions) to stabilize devotion.