Rukmāṅgada–Vāmadeva Saṃvāda: Ahimsa, Hunting, and the Fruit of Dvādaśī-Bhakti
त्वत्पादपांसुना तुल्यो नाहं विप्र भवामि हि । न विप्रेभ्योऽधिका देवा भवंतीह कदाचन ॥ ४४ ॥
tvatpādapāṃsunā tulyo nāhaṃ vipra bhavāmi hi | na viprebhyo'dhikā devā bhavaṃtīha kadācana || 44 ||
Bạch Bà-la-môn, con chẳng đáng sánh với hạt bụi nơi bàn chân của ngài. Quả thật, trong đời này, chư thiên chưa từng khi nào cao hơn các Bà-la-môn.
A Deva (god) addressing a Brāhmaṇa (Vipra) in praise of brāhmaṇa-mahima
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
It teaches brāhmaṇa-satkāra (honoring the learned and dharmic) and humility: even devas acknowledge that the spiritual authority of a true vipra surpasses worldly power.
Bhakti is shown through sevā and vinaya (service and humility): reverence to the Lord’s devotees and dharmic teachers is treated as a direct support to devotional life.
It implicitly upholds the role of brāhmaṇas as custodians of śikṣā, vyākaraṇa, chandas, nirukta, kalpa, and jyotiṣa—hence their guidance in mantra, ritual procedure (kalpa), and auspicious timing (jyotiṣa) is not to be dismissed even by the powerful.