Vamana Purana — Harihara Non-Duality, Shloka 49

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

Devanagari script

यथा यथा त्रिनयनो रूपं धत्ते गुणाग्रणीः तथा तथा त्वजायन्त महापाशुपता गणाः

Transliteration

yathā yathā trinayano rūpaṃ dhatte guṇāgraṇīḥ tathā tathā tvajāyanta mahāpāśupatā gaṇāḥ

Translation

ومهما تكن الهيئة التي يتخذها ذو العيون الثلاث—المتقدّم بين الغونات—فبمثل تلك الهيئة نفسها تنبثق الغَناتُ الباشوباتية العظام.

Speakers

• Narrator voice within the Andhaka-vadha narrative (explaining the emergence of Śiva’s hosts)

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Trinayana/Paśupati)

Key Themes

• Emanation of divine hosts
• Pāśupata tradition and Śaiva power
• Form (rūpa) as causal principle
• Mythic multiplication of forces

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who are the ‘Mahāpāśupata Gaṇas’ in Purāṇic terms?

They are exalted attendants aligned with Paśupati (Śiva as Lord of beings), often portrayed as formidable, ascetic-warrior hosts. In battle narratives they function as Śiva’s emanated forces, mirroring his current manifestation and power.

What does ‘guṇāgraṇīḥ’ imply about Śiva here?

It presents Śiva as supreme in qualities/powers and as one who governs or transcends the guṇas (sattva, rajas, tamas). The epithet supports the idea that his assumed forms are not constrained but sovereignly chosen, producing corresponding cosmic effects.

How does this verse connect to the preceding Hari-Hara description?

After establishing a form that integrates Vaiṣṇava and Rudraic insignia, the text states a general principle: whatever form Śiva assumes, matching hosts arise. This frames the composite theophany as dynamically efficacious—its appearance is immediately accompanied by the generation of appropriate divine forces.