Vamana Purana — Harihara Non-Duality, Shloka 29

Harihara Non-Duality and the Revelation of Sadasiva to the Ganas

Devanagari script

यथाहं वै परिज्ञातो न भवद्भिस्तथा ध्रुवम् येनाहं निन्दितो नित्यं भवद्भिर्मूढबुद्धिभिः

Transliteration

yathāhaṃ vai parijñāto na bhavadbhistathā dhruvam yenāhaṃ nindito nityaṃ bhavadbhirmūḍhabuddhibhiḥ

Translation

حقًّا لم تعرفوني على ما أنا عليه في الحقيقة؛ ولذلك أُذَمّ على الدوام من قبلكم، وأنتم ذوو عقولٍ مضلَّلة.

Speakers

• Maheshvara (Shiva) addressing his gaṇas (attendants)

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Maheśvara)

Key Themes

• Correct understanding of the deity (tattva-jñāna)
• Condemnation born of delusion
• Ethics of speech toward the divine and elders

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "karuna", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why does Shiva say the gaṇas have not ‘truly understood’ him?

The verse frames a doctrinal point: proximity to the divine (being gaṇas) does not guarantee tattva-jñāna. Misrecognition leads to nindā (reviling), which is presented as a symptom of mūḍha-buddhi (deluded cognition).

Is ‘reviling’ here a literal insult or a broader theological error?

It can be read both ways: (1) literal disparagement in speech/attitude, and (2) a broader failure to apprehend Shiva’s nature—purity, transcendence, and non-duality—leading to disrespectful or mistaken judgments.

How does this fit the Andhaka-related narrative arc?

In Andhaka episodes, themes of ignorance, misperception, and the consequences of arrogance recur. This line functions as a moral-theological correction before or amid conflict, emphasizing that delusion distorts one’s relation even to the Lord.