Vamana Purana — Harihara Non-Duality, Shloka 31

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

Devanagari script

कथं भवान् यथैक्येन संस्थितो ऽस्ति जनार्दनः भवान् हि निर्मलः सुद्धः शान्तः सुक्लो निरञ्जनः

Transliteration

kathaṃ bhavān yathaikyena saṃsthito 'sti janārdanaḥ bhavān hi nirmalaḥ suddhaḥ śāntaḥ suklo nirañjanaḥ

Translation

«كيف تكون، وأنت قائم في الوَحدة، (أيضًا) جَناردَنَة؟ فإنك حقًّا منزَّه عن الدنس، طاهر، ساكن، منير، غير مُلوَّث.»

Speakers

• Gaṇas addressing Maheśvara (Shiva)
• in the form of a reverential question/praise

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Maheśvara)
• Vishnu (Janārdana)

Key Themes

• Shaiva–Vaishnava unity (Hari-Hara abheda)
• Non-duality/oneness (aikya)
• Divine purity and transcendence (nirmala, nirañjana)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What does it mean to say Shiva is ‘Janārdana’?

It expresses abheda (non-difference) theology common in many Purāṇas: the supreme reality is one, while names like Shiva and Vishnu denote aspects/functions. The gaṇas are asking how this unity is to be understood.

Is this verse a philosophical claim or a devotional stuti?

Both. The form is stuti-like (listing divine qualities), but the content raises a doctrinal question about aikya (oneness) and the identity of deities—often resolved by asserting a single supreme tattva manifesting diversely.

Why emphasize qualities like nirmala, śuddha, and nirañjana?

These adjectives mark transcendence over guṇas and impurity, supporting the claim of supreme status. They also justify the possibility of ‘oneness’ across divine names: the untainted absolute can be spoken of as Shiva or Janārdana without contradiction.