आचार्य-धर्मलक्षण-श्रद्धाभक्तिप्राधान्यं तथा लिङ्गे ध्यान-पूजाविधानसंकेतः
Adhyaya 10
सूत उवाच सतां जितात्मनां साक्षाद् द्विजातीनां द्विजोत्तमाः धर्मज्ञानां च साधूनाम् आचार्याणां शिवात्मनाम्
sūta uvāca satāṃ jitātmanāṃ sākṣād dvijātīnāṃ dvijottamāḥ dharmajñānāṃ ca sādhūnām ācāryāṇāṃ śivātmanām
سوت نے کہا—اے دِوِجوں میں برتر! تم وہ سَت پُرش ہو جنہوں نے نفس کو جیت لیا، جو ظاہرًا بھی اعلیٰ دِوِج ہو؛ تم دھرم کے جاننے والے سادھو اور وہ آچاریہ ہو جن کی باطنی ہستی شِو میں قائم ہے۔
Suta Goswami
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.
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.
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).