Vamana Purana — Portents at Bali's Sacrifice, Shloka 100

Portents at Bali’s Sacrifice and the Kośakāra’s Son: The Power of Past Karma

Devanagari script

ततो ऽहं कृतवान् भावं तस्यां विलसितुं प्लवन् ततो ऽनुप्लपतस्तत्र हारे मर्कटबन्धनम्

Transliteration

tato 'haṃ kṛtavān bhāvaṃ tasyāṃ vilasituṃ plavan tato 'nuplapatastatra hāre markaṭabandhanam

Translation

{"scene_description": "A vast palace rises at the center: vajra-like altar platform, pearl-lattice doorway, crafted by Viśvakarman with superhuman precision.", "primary_figures": ["Viśvakarman", "Bali (implied patron)", "palace guardians"], "setting": "Central palace courtyard in Rasātala, gem-studded pillars, pearl screens, diamond-bright dais", "color_palette": ["pearl white", "diamond blue", "silver", "turquoise", "warm gold"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore painting, Viśvakarman presenting a grand palace with vajra-vedikā and pearl lattice doorway, heavy gold leaf on architectural borders, jewel inlays, frontal iconic symmetry, rich ornamentation", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature, airy palace interior with pearl jali doorway, delicate shading, Viśvakarman as divine artisan with tools, soft blues and whites, refined courtly elegance", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural, bold contour lines, patterned pearl lattice, luminous vajra platform, Viśvakarman with stylized crown and tools, saturated mineral pigments, temple-wall grandeur", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra panel, narrative depiction of Viśvakarman constructing the palace, intricate geometric patterns for pearl lattice, flat colors, ornate border motifs, folk storytelling clarity"}

Speakers

• Narrator (a repentant soul recounting his karmic downfall) to the primary interlocutor of the chapter (traditional frame in Vāmana Purāṇa: a sage narrating to another sage; exact named speakers not explicit in the given excerpt).

Key Themes

• Karma-vipāka (consequences of desire-driven acts)
• Moral warning through autobiographical exemplum
• Humiliation and bondage as immediate fruit of misconduct

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "bibhatsa", "secondaryRasa": "hasya", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why does the verse use the image ‘bound like a monkey’ (markaṭa-bandhana)?

It is a stock image for public humiliation and loss of agency. The narrator’s lustful ‘play’ (vilāsa) immediately results in restraint, signaling how desire (kāma) can invert into bondage (bandhana) even within the same episode.

Is this a literal event or a moralized narrative device?

Purāṇic tīrtha-māhātmyas often embed moral exempla. Whether read literally or allegorically, the point is causal: a degraded intention produces degrading consequences, preparing the listener for the subsequent rebirth-and-hell sequence.

Does ‘hāra’ here mean a necklace?

Though hāra can mean ‘necklace’, the collocation with bandhana (‘binding’) and the action of being seized indicates a rope/halter/noose sense—an implement of restraint rather than ornament.