Vamana Purana — Bali's Sudarshana Worship, Shloka 13

Bali’s Worship of Sudarshana and Prahlada’s Teaching on Vishnu-Bhakti

Devanagari script

अरेषु संस्थिता देवाः सेन्द्राः सार्काः सपावकाः जवे यस्य स्थितो वायुरापोग्निः पृथिवी नभः

Transliteration

areṣu saṃsthitā devāḥ sendrāḥ sārkāḥ sapāvakāḥ jave yasya sthito vāyurāpogniḥ pṛthivī nabhaḥ

Translation

Upon its spokes are stationed the gods—together with Indra, with the Sun, and with Pāvaka (Agni). In its swiftness/impulse (java) abide Wind, Water, Fire, Earth, and Space.

Speakers

• Not specified in input; stuti voice continues
• describing the cakra’s cosmic constituents.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Hari)
• Sudarshana (Cakra)
• Indra
• Surya (Arka)
• Agni (Pavaka)

Key Themes

• Cosmic order mapped onto Sudarshana
• Integration of Vedic deities within Vaiṣṇava frame
• Pañca-bhūta (five elements)
• Protective, all-pervading divinity

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are the gods said to be ‘on the spokes’?

Spokes conventionally represent directions and the distribution of power through the cosmos. Placing devas on the spokes portrays them as functional administrators of cosmic regions and processes, all held together by the cakra’s structure.

What is meant by ‘jave yasya’ (in its java)?

‘Java’ is the wheel’s driving momentum—its dynamic force. The verse locates the pañca-bhūtas (air, water, fire, earth, space) in that dynamism, implying that elemental processes are energized and regulated by the divine wheel’s motion.

Does this reflect a sectarian claim?

Yes, but in an inclusive mode: it asserts Viṣṇu’s cakra as the organizing principle while still honoring Indra, Sūrya, and Agni as real presences within that order—typical of Purāṇic synthesis.