Vamana Purana — Bali's Sudarshana Worship, Shloka 46

Bali’s Worship of Sudarshana and Prahlada’s Teaching on Vishnu-Bhakti

Devanagari script

सर्वावासं वासुदेवं सूक्ष्ममव्यक्तविग्रहम् प्रविशन्ति महात्मानं तद्भक्ता नान्यचेतसः

Transliteration

sarvāvāsaṃ vāsudevaṃ sūkṣmamavyaktavigraham praviśanti mahātmānaṃ tadbhaktā nānyacetasaḥ

Translation

“Those devotees of that Great One, whose minds are fixed on none else, enter Vāsudeva—who is the abode of all, subtle, and of unmanifest form.”

Speakers

• Unspecified speaker continuing instruction to a Daitya (likely Bali or a Daitya interlocutor)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Vāsudeva)

Key Themes

• Single-minded devotion (ananya-bhakti)
• Entering/attaining Vāsudeva (sāyujya/parama-gati)
• Transcendence of the Lord’s form (avyakta) alongside immanence (sarvāvāsa)
• Liberation through devotion

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What does ‘entering Vāsudeva’ mean in Purāṇic theology?

It denotes the culminating attainment of devotees—variously expressed as reaching the Lord’s supreme abode or a form of union/participation (often termed sāyujya in later taxonomy). The emphasis is on final proximity/identity of state with the Lord rather than a temporary heavenly reward.

How can Vāsudeva be both ‘sarvāvāsa’ (abode of all) and ‘avyakta’ (unmanifest)?

The verse holds together immanence and transcendence: the Lord pervades and supports all beings (sarvāvāsa) while his ultimate nature is subtle and beyond sensory manifestation (sūkṣma, avyakta-vigraha).

Why stress ‘nānyacetasaḥ’ (no other-mindedness)?

It marks ananya-bhakti—exclusive, undistracted devotion—as the qualifying disposition for the highest attainment described here.