Vamana Purana — Bali's Sudarshana Worship, Shloka 53

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

Devanagari script

हरिवाक्यामृतं पीत्वा विमलैः श्रोत्रभाजनैः प्रहृष्यति मनो येषां दुर्गाण्यतितरन्ति ते

Transliteration

harivākyāmṛtaṃ pītvā vimalaiḥ śrotrabhājanaiḥ prahṛṣyati mano yeṣāṃ durgāṇyatitaranti te

Translation

Having drunk the nectar of Hari’s words with purified vessels of hearing (i.e., pure ears and attentive receptivity), those whose minds rejoice—such people cross beyond misfortunes and evil conditions.

Speakers

• Narrator-sage continuing the instruction within Adhyāya 67’s bhakti-phala sequence (speaker frame likely Pulastya → Nārada
• with internal address patterns varying by recension).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Hari)

Key Themes

• Śravaṇa (hearing) as a primary bhakti limb
• Hari-kathā as amṛta (nectar)
• Inner purification (vimala) and receptivity
• Joy (prahṛṣṭa-manas) as a sign of spiritual assimilation
• Crossing durgati through devotion

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does it mean to ‘drink the nectar of Hari’s words’ with ‘vessels of hearing’?

It is a layered metaphor: the ear (and the attentive mind behind it) is the ‘vessel’; when purified (vimala) by right intention and discipline, it can ‘contain’ and assimilate Hari-kathā. ‘Drinking’ indicates not mere listening but inward absorption that transforms the listener.

Why is hearing (śravaṇa) emphasized as strongly as worship or meditation?

Purāṇic bhakti frequently treats śravaṇa as foundational: it is accessible, repeatable, and community-based, and it generates remembrance (smaraṇa) and praise (kīrtana). This verse links śravaṇa directly to inner joy and to transcending durgati.

Does the verse imply a specific text by ‘Hari’s words’—Veda, Purāṇa, or mantra?

The expression is intentionally broad: it can include mantra, stotra, Purāṇic narration (hari-kathā), and dharma teaching attributed to Hari. The key criterion is that the content is ‘Hari-centered’ and received with purified receptivity.