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

நிச்சயமாக நீங்கள் என்னை நான் உண்மையில் இருப்பதுபோல் அறியவில்லை; ஏனெனில் மயங்கிய புத்தியுடன் நீங்கள் எப்போதும் என்னை நிந்திக்கிறீர்கள்.

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.