196
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 6]
lotus feet. This action was just like that of Vāmanadeva, who offered His respectful obeisances to Kaśyapa Muni.
PURPORT
Kaśyapa Muni was in the category of the living entities, but he had a transcendental son, Vāmanadeva, who was an incarnation of Viṣṇu. Thus although Lord Viṣṇu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He offered His respects to Kaśyapa Muni. Similarly, when Lord Kṛṣṇa was a child He used to offer His respectful obeisances to His mother and father, Nanda and Yaśodā. Also at the Battle of Kurukṣetra, Lord Kṛṣṇa touched the feet of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira because he was His elder. It appears, then, that the Personality of Godhead, Lord Śiva and other devotees, in spite of their being situated in exalted positions, instructed by practical example how to offer obeisances to their superiors. Lord Śiva offered his respectful obeisances to Brahmā because Brahmā was his father, just as Kaśyapa Muni was the father of Vāmana.
TEXT 41
तथापरे सिद्धगणा महर्षिमि-
ये वै समन्तादनु नीललोहितम् ।
नमस्कृतः प्राह शशाङ्कशेखरं
कृतप्रणामं प्रहसन्निवात्मभूः ॥४१॥
tathāpare siddha-gaṇā maharṣibhir
ye vai samantād anu nīlalohitam
namaskṛtaḥ prāha śaśāṅka-śekharam
kṛta-praṇāmam prahasann ivātmabhūḥ
tathā —so;  apare —the others;  siddha-gaṇāḥ —the Siddhas;  maharṣibhiḥ —along with the great sages;  ye —who;  vai —indeed;  samantāt —from all sides;  anu —after;  nīlalohitam —Lord Śiva;  namaskṛtaḥ —making obeisances;  prāha —said;  śaśāṅka-śekharam —to Lord Śiva;  kṛta-praṇāmam —having made obeisances;  prahasan —smiling;  iva —as;  ātmabhūḥ —Lord Brahmā.
TRANSLATION
All the sages who were sitting with Lord Śiva, such as Nārada and others, also offered their respectful obeisances to Lord Brahmā. After being so worshiped, Lord Brahmā, smiling, began to speak to Lord Śiva.