Vamana Purana — Indra's Penance & Aditi's Vow, Shloka 4

Indra’s Penance at the Great River and Aditi’s Solar Vow for Vishnu’s Descent

Devanagari script

प्रोवाचेन्द्रः सुरैः सार्ध देवनाथं पितामहम् पितामह हृतं राज्यं बलिना बलिना मम

Transliteration

provācendraḥ suraiḥ sārdha devanāthaṃ pitāmaham pitāmaha hṛtaṃ rājyaṃ balinā balinā mama

Translation

Indra, together with the gods, addressed the Lord of the gods, the Grandfather (Brahmā): ‘O Grandfather, my kingdom has been taken away by Bali—the mighty one.’

Speakers

• Indra speaking to Brahmā (with the devas present)

Primary Deities

• Indra
• Brahmā
• Bali

Key Themes

• Loss of sovereignty (rājya-haraṇa)
• Asura ascendancy (Bali)
• Appeal to cosmic authority (Brahmā as pitāmaha)
• Catalyst for avatāra intervention

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "karuna", "secondaryRasa": "vira", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why does Indra address Brahmā as ‘pitāmaha’ (grandfather)?

In Purāṇic idiom, Brahmā is ‘grandfather’ as the generative source of many lineages and the senior authority in cosmic administration. The address underscores Indra’s dependence and the familial-cosmic hierarchy invoked in crisis.

What is conveyed by the repetition ‘balinā balinā’?

It functions as emphasis and wordplay: ‘by Bali’ and ‘by the mighty one.’ The verse highlights that the seizure of Indra’s rājya is not accidental but the result of Bali’s exceptional power and ascendancy.

How does this complaint propel the narrative toward Viṣṇu’s avatāra?

Indra’s dispossession is the narrative trigger: the devas seek a remedy beyond ordinary warfare. In the broader Vāmana-Bali cycle, this leads to counsel and the strategic descent of Viṣṇu as Vāmana, culminating in Trivikrama’s cosmic stride and restoration of order.