TEXT 40
sa tupalabhyagatam atma-yonim
surasuresair abhivanditanghrih
utthaya cakre sirasabhivandanam
arhattamah kasya yathaiva visnuh
SYNONYMS
sahLord Siva; tubut; upalabhyaseeing; agatamhad arrived; atma-yonimLord Brahma; sura-asura-isaihby the best of the demigods and demons; abhivandita-anghrihwhose feet are worshiped; utthayastanding up; cakremade; sirasawith his head; abhivandanamrespectful; arhattamahVamanadeva; kasyaof Kasyapa; yatha evajust as; visnuhVisnu.
TRANSLATION
Lord Sivas lotus feet were worshiped by both the demigods and demons, but still, in spite of his exalted position, as soon as he saw that Lord Brahma was there among all the other demigods, he immediately stood up and offered him respect by bowing down and touching his lotus feet, just as Vamanadeva offered His respectful obeisances to Kasyapa Muni.
PURPORT
Kasyapa Muni was in the category of the living entities, but he had a transcendental son, Vamanadeva, who was an incarnation of Visnu. Thus although Lord Visnu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He offered His respects to Kasyapa Muni. Similarly, when Lord Krsna was a child He used to offer His respectful obeisances to His mother and father, Nanda and Yasoda. Also, at the Battle of Kuruksetra, Lord Krsna touched the feet of Maharaja Yudhisthira because the King was His elder. It appears, then, that the Personality of Godhead, Lord Siva and other devotees, in spite of their being situated in exalted positions, instructed by practical example how to offer obeisances to their superiors. Lord Siva offered his respectful obeisances to Brahma because Brahma was his father, just as Kasyapa Muni was the father of Vamana.

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