Varaha Purana 21.49: Adhyaya 21, Shloka 49
The Disruption of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice, the Hari-Hara Conflict, and the Establishment of Rudra’s Sacrificial Share
Pūrva Bhāga · Pr̥thivī–Uddhāra / Cosmological Narrative Frame
परमेष्ठिगुणैर्युक्तो लघुवद्भीतितः पुरा । नमस्कं कुरुते मोघं पृथिव्यां पद्मजः स्वयम् ॥ २१.५० ॥
parameṣṭhi-guṇair yukto laghuvad bhītitaḥ purā | namaskaṃ kurute moghaṃ pṛthivyāṃ padmajaḥ svayam || 21.50 ||
parameShThiguNairyukto laghuvadbhItitaH purA | namaskaM kurute moghaM pRRithivyAM padmajaH svayam || 21.50 ||
Einst, obgleich mit den Eigenschaften des Parameṣṭhin (des höchsten Herrn) begabt, erweist Padmaja (Brahmā) selbst aus Furcht, als wäre er gering, auf Erden vergeblich seine Ehrerbietung.
Sandhi Notes
- परमेष्ठिगुणैः = परमेष्ठि + गुणैः
- लघुवत् + भीतितः → लघुवद्भीतितः
Varāha
Observer
How can even Brahmā, though Parameṣṭhin-like in qualities, become fearful and perform futile obeisance—what then of others’ courage and clarity?
Status and guṇa-endowment do not remove fear; only right alignment with the supreme refuge makes acts meaningful.
Examine whether your reverence is mere formality; cultivate clarity about the object of devotion and act without fear-born confusion.
Earth is the locus where Padmaja (Brahmā) offers obeisance.
The verse contrasts delegated cosmic authority (Brahmā/Padmaja) with the ultimate ground of refuge; ‘vain obeisance’ hints that ritual/form without right object (tattva-jñāna) is ineffective.
Upāsanā must be directed to the supreme reality; fear arises from avidyā and misapprehension of the true āśraya (refuge).
21.21.49 (rebuke on abandoning valor); 21.21.51 (Hari’s decisive action contrasts ‘moha’/futility)
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic narrative strategy: portraying even high cosmic figures (e.g., Brahmā as Padmaja) as acting with deference, thereby situating authority and hierarchy within the text’s cosmological frame.
No specific pilgrimage site or identifiable geographic toponym is named here; the reference is general to pṛthivī (the Earth) rather than a localized sacred geography.
The verse foregrounds humility and the limits of status or power; it depicts reverence as a recognized cultural-philosophical value, while also noting the possibility of actions becoming “mogha” (fruitless) without proper context or efficacy.
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