Vamana Purana — Kali's Complaint to Brahma (Part 2), Shloka 13

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

Devanagari script

स्वधर्मस्थायिनो वर्णा ह्याश्रमांश्चाविश्न् द्विजाः प्रजापालनधर्मस्थाः सदैव मनुजर्षभाः

Transliteration

svadharmasthāyino varṇā hyāśramāṃścāviśn dvijāḥ prajāpālanadharmasthāḥ sadaiva manujarṣabhāḥ

Translation

“The varṇas remained established in their own duties, and the twice-born entered (and abided in) their āśramas. Ever devoted to the dharma of protecting subjects, the best of men (thus prevailed).”

Speakers

• Narrator/teacher describing the state of society to a Brahmin interlocutor (exact speaker-pair not specified in prompt)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Varṇa-āśrama dharma
• Ideal kingship (prajā-pālana)
• Social stability as a sign of dharma

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Is the verse praising Bali or describing an ideal polity in general?

In the Vāmana–Bali frame it functions as praise of the prevailing order under Bali’s reign, while simultaneously presenting a Purāṇic template of ideal governance: social roles steady, āśrama disciplines maintained, and rulers committed to prajā-pālana.

What is meant by “dvija” entering the āśramas?

It indicates that the twice-born properly undertake and remain within their life-stage disciplines—study, householdership, forest-dwelling, renunciation—rather than deviating from prescribed conduct.

Why is prajā-pālana singled out as ‘dharma’?

Purāṇic political theology treats protection of subjects as the core royal duty; when it is upheld, prosperity and moral order are said to radiate outward into the world.