Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 51
Episode of King Vena: Deceptive Doctrine, Compassion, and the Contest over Dharma
नमस्कारः प्रकर्तव्यस्तस्य देवस्य नान्यथा । मातापित्रोस्तु वै पादौ कदा नैव प्रवंदयेत्
namaskāraḥ prakartavyastasya devasya nānyathā | mātāpitrostu vai pādau kadā naiva pravaṃdayet
Hãy dâng lời đảnh lễ chỉ đến vị Thần linh ấy, không theo cách khác; nhưng đối với đôi chân của mẹ cha, chớ bao giờ, vào bất cứ lúc nào, thiếu sự cúi lạy tôn kính.
Unspecified (narratorial/instructional voice within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रकर्तव्यस्तस्य = प्रकर्तव्यः + तस्य; नान्यथा = न + अन्यथा; मातापित्रोस्तु = मातापित्रोः + तु; नैव = न + एव
FAQs
It teaches a hierarchy of reverence: worship is to be directed with exclusivity to one’s chosen Deity, while social-ethical duty requires unwavering respect toward one’s mother and father, expressed through bowing at their feet.
It restricts the act of devotional obeisance (namaskāra) in a theological sense to the Deity, but it explicitly mandates reverence to parents, indicating that dharmic respect for elders is not negated by devotion.
It aligns devotion with dharma: single-pointed reverence to the Deity is paired with obligatory gratitude and humility toward parents, presenting bhakti as inseparable from righteous conduct.