Shloka 61

Vamana's Three Steps — Vamana’s Three Steps and the Binding of Bali

Devanagari script

तत्रोत्सवो सुख्यतमो भविष्यति दिवानिशं हृष्टजनाभिरामम् यथैव राज्ये भवतस्तु साम्प्रतं तथैव सा भाव्यथ कौमुदी च // वम्प्_65.60 इत्येवमुक्त्वा मधुहा दितीश्वरं विसर्जयित्वा सुतलं सभार्यम् यज्ञं समादाय जगाम तूर्णं स शक्रसद्भामरसंघजुष्टम्

Transliteration

tatrotsavo sukhyatamo bhaviṣyati divāniśaṃ hṛṣṭajanābhirāmam yathaiva rājye bhavatastu sāmprataṃ tathaiva sā bhāvyatha kaumudī ca // VamP_65.60 ityevamuktvā madhuhā ditīśvaraṃ visarjayitvā sutalaṃ sabhāryam yajñaṃ samādāya jagāma tūrṇaṃ sa śakrasadbhāmarasaṃghajuṣṭam

Translation

[{"question": "What does it mean that ‘brāhmaṇas are my body’?", "answer": "It is a theological metaphor asserting intimate identification: Viṣṇu’s protection of dharma operates through Vedic transmission, ritual expertise, and teaching—functions traditionally assigned to brāhmaṇas. The statement sacralizes respectful support of that dharmic infrastructure."}, {"question": "Is ‘arcana’ here ritual worship or social honor?", "answer": "Arcana can include formal offerings, but in dharma passages it often broadens to hospitality, gifts, respectful speech, and service. The emphasis is on bhakti-informed reverence rather than a single ritual procedure."}, {"question": "How does this relate to Vaiṣṇava practice?", "answer": "The verse frames brāhmaṇa-honor as a component of Vaiṣṇava devotion (viṣṇu-tatparatā). It integrates personal devotion with social dharma, presenting them as mutually reinforcing."}]

Word by Word

:

Speakers

• Narrative voice recounting Viṣṇu’s words and actions; Viṣṇu (Madhuhā) addressing Bali (Ditīśvara) is implied in the quoted promise about Kaumudī

Primary Deities

• Viṣṇu
• Indra (Śakra)
• Bali

Key Themes

• Kaumudī/seasonal festival sanctity
• Public joy as dharmic fruit
• Viṣṇu as guarantor of order for Devas and Asuras
• Ritual (yajña) as cosmic mechanism
• Reconciliation/settlement with Bali

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is ‘Kaumudī’ in this context?

‘Kaumudī’ literally relates to moonlight (kumuda/kaumudī) and commonly denotes an autumnal, moonlit festive observance. Here it functions as a named celebration characterized by continuous day-night rejoicing, indicating a ritually sanctioned, recurring festival in Bali’s realm (and/or as a boon promised by the Lord).

Why does Viṣṇu ‘dismiss’ Bali to Sutala rather than destroy him?

The Vāmana–Bali narrative emphasizes dharma rather than annihilation: Bali’s truthfulness and gift (dāna) are honored, and his sovereignty is relocated to Sutala. This preserves cosmic balance—Devas regain their stations while Bali receives an enduring, protected domain.

What does the move to ‘Śakra’s assembly’ signify?

It marks a narrative transition from the Asura settlement back to the Deva order: Viṣṇu, as the ritual and cosmic sovereign, proceeds to Indra’s court to re-establish the gods as rightful recipients of sacrificial shares and governance.