Shloka 25
पितृसर्ग-श्राद्धमाहात्म्य-प्रश्नः
Pitṛ-sarga and the Greatness of Śrāddha: The Inquiry
शृणु त्वं भारतश्रेष्ठ वेदधर्मांश्च शाश्वतान् । प्रमाणं वेदधर्मस्य पुत्र निर्वर्त्तितं त्वया
śṛṇu tvaṃ bhārataśreṣṭha vedadharmāṃśca śāśvatān | pramāṇaṃ vedadharmasya putra nirvarttitaṃ tvayā
Listen, O best of the Bhāratas, to these eternal ordinances of Vedic dharma. O son, you yourself have already established the proper standard and authoritative example of Vedic conduct.
Lord Shiva (as the supreme teacher speaking to a royal/heroic interlocutor addressed as 'son')
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse presents Vedic dharma as eternal and emphasizes that true authority in dharma is proven through lived practice—conduct aligned with Shiva’s teaching becomes the pramāṇa that steadies the seeker toward liberation under the Lord’s guidance.
It frames Shiva not only as the object of worship (Saguna Shiva in Linga form) but also as the revealer of right discipline; Linga-worship bears fruit when supported by śāśvata-vedadharma—purity, restraint, and faithful observance.
The takeaway is dharma-anchored sādhana: daily Shiva worship with mantra-japa (especially the Panchākṣarī, Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and disciplined conduct; the verse stresses embodying the practice so it becomes an authentic standard (pramāṇa).