Vamana Purana — Portents at Bali's Sacrifice, Shloka 78

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

Devanagari script

ततः सा पीवरश्रेणी द्वारमुद्घाटयन्मुने उद्घाटिते ततो द्वारे निर्गतो ऽहं बहिः श्रणात्

Transliteration

tataḥ sā pīvaraśreṇī dvāramudghāṭayanmune udghāṭite tato dvāre nirgato 'haṃ bahiḥ śraṇāt

Translation

তখন সে—পূর্ণ নিতম্বা—হে মুনি, দ্বার খুলল। দ্বার খুলতেই আমি সেই আশ্রয়/ঘেরাটোপ থেকে বাইরে বেরিয়ে এলাম।

Speakers

• Narrator (male protagonist) recounting events to a sage (mune) within the chapter’s frame.

Key Themes

• Escape/release motif
• Liminal threshold (door-opening)
• Narrative transition from confinement to movement

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the narrative function of the ‘door’ (dvāra) in Purāṇic episodes?

The dvāra is a threshold marker: once opened, the story shifts from secrecy/confinement to public space and consequence. Such threshold moments often precede travel, encounter, or the approach to a tīrtha in māhātmya literature.

How should śraṇa be understood here?

Given the immediate context of a shut door and release, śraṇa most naturally denotes an enclosed or sheltered place (a chamber, pen, or covered enclosure). The precise architectural sense can vary by manuscript tradition; the translation keeps it general (‘enclosure/shelter’).

Is pīvaraśreṇī merely ornamental description?

Primarily it is kāvya-style characterization, but it also signals the episode’s erotic/temptation undertone, which contrasts with the speaker’s insistence on release—often a moralizing tension that later verses may resolve through dharma or tīrtha-related consequence.