Vamana Purana — Kali's Complaint to Brahma (Part 2), Shloka 8

Kali’s Complaint to Brahma and the Arrival of Śrī (Jayaśrī) in Bali’s Reign

Devanagari script

म भूमिं च तथा नाकं राज्यं लक्ष्मीं यसो ऽव्ययः समाहरिष्यति बलेः कर्तुः सद्धर्मगोचरम्

Transliteration

ma bhūmiṃ ca tathā nākaṃ rājyaṃ lakṣmīṃ yaso 'vyayaḥ samāhariṣyati baleḥ kartuḥ saddharmagocaram

Translation

অব্যয় তিনি পৃথিবী ও তদ্রূপ স্বর্গ, রাজ্য, লক্ষ্মী এবং যশ—যা মহাকর্মী বলির সদ্ধর্ম-পরিসরে গিয়েছিল—সবই পুনরুদ্ধার করবেন।

Speakers

• Narrator/teacher continuing the discourse to Tiṣya (or the listener) about the impending divine reclamation

Primary Deities

• Hari (Vishnu)
• Bali
• Lakshmi (as fortune/personified prosperity)

Key Themes

• Restoration of cosmic sovereignty
• Lakṣmī as royal fortune shifting with dharma
• Dharma as the rightful ‘domain’ (gocara) of rule
• Vāmana/Trivikrama as corrective reallocation

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does ‘samāhariṣyati’ imply—destruction or lawful repossession?

The verb suggests ‘gathering back/withdrawing’ rather than annihilating. In the Vāmana narrative, Viṣṇu reclaims the cosmic jurisdictions (earth/heaven/sovereignty) to restore balance, not to negate Bali’s virtues or gifts.

How can Bali’s domain be called ‘saddharma-gocara’ if he is opposed by the Devas?

Purāṇic nuance allows Bali to be both powerful and, in certain respects, dharmic (notably generosity and truthfulness). ‘Saddharma-gocara’ can indicate that the transfer of realms occurs through a dharmic mechanism (boon, gift, vow) rather than mere violence—hence Viṣṇu’s approach as a supplicant.

Why list Lakṣmī and Yaśas along with earth and heaven?

Kingship is not only territory; it includes legitimacy, prosperity, and renown. The verse frames sovereignty as a composite of realms (bhūmi/nāka) and royal attributes (rājya/lakṣmī/yaśas), all ultimately contingent on Viṣṇu’s sustaining order.