Shloka 169

उमामहेश्वरव्रतं—पञ्चाक्षरमन्त्रस्य माहात्म्यं, न्यासः, जपविधिः, सदाचारः, विनियोगः

Devanagari script

गुरुर्देवो यतः साक्षात् तद्गृहं देवमन्दिरम् पापिना च यथासंगात् तत्पापैः पतनं भवेत्

Transliteration

gururdevo yataḥ sākṣāt tadgṛhaṃ devamandiram pāpinā ca yathāsaṃgāt tatpāpaiḥ patanaṃ bhavet

Translation

गुरुर्देवो यतः साक्षात् तद्गृहं देवमन्दिरम्। पापिना च यथासङ्गात् तत्पापैः पतनं भवेत्॥

Word by Word

• गुरुः: the Guru (spiritual preceptor)

• देवः: a deity, divine

• यतः: because, since

• साक्षात्: directly, manifestly

• तत्-गृहं: his/that (Guru’s) house

• देव-मन्दिरम्: a temple of God

• पापिना: with a sinful person

• च: and

• यथा-सङ्गात्: according to the nature/degree of association

• तत्-पापैः: by that person’s sins

• पतनम्: downfall, spiritual fall

• भवेत्: would occur, comes to be

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Deva

FAQs

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

It establishes that approaching the Guru is equivalent to entering a deva-mandira; thus, right association and reverence are prerequisites for successful Shiva-upasana and Linga-puja.

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

By declaring the Guru as ‘sākṣāt deva’, it reflects the Shaiva view that Pati (Shiva) becomes accessible through the Guru’s living guidance—divinity is encountered in embodied instruction leading the pashu beyond pasha.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Satsanga as a discipline: guarding one’s company as part of Pashupata-oriented purification, since dussanga transmits tamas and leads to patana (spiritual decline).