Shloka 95
बन्धमोक्षवर्णनम्
Bondage and Liberation: The Prakṛti–Karma Wheel and Śiva as the Transcendent Cause
गुरुपूजैव पूजा स्याच्छिवस्य परमात्मनः । गुरुशेषं तु यत्सर्वमात्मशुद्धिकरं भवेत्
gurupūjaiva pūjā syācchivasya paramātmanaḥ | guruśeṣaṃ tu yatsarvamātmaśuddhikaraṃ bhavet
Chỉ riêng việc thờ phụng Guru đã chính là thờ phụng Śiva, Đấng Tối Thượng Ngã. Bất cứ điều gì còn lại sau khi phụng sự Guru—mọi hành vi như thế—đều trở thành nhân duyên thanh tịnh hóa nội tâm.
Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s teaching tradition to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Type: stotra
Role: teaching
FAQs
It teaches that the Guru is the living channel of Śiva’s grace; serving the Guru is counted as direct worship of Śiva and becomes a primary means of ātma-śuddhi (inner purification) leading toward liberation.
In Shaiva practice, Saguna worship (including Liṅga-pūjā) is most fruitful when performed under the Guru’s guidance; the verse emphasizes that honoring the Guru perfects and validates one’s external worship as worship of Śiva Himself.
Prioritize Guru-sevā and Guru-pūjā before other rites; then perform Śiva-upāsanā (e.g., japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) as an act of purified devotion, treating all remaining worship as supportive of inner cleansing.