Vamana Purana — Kali's Complaint to Brahma (Part 2), Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

रक्तवाजिसामारूढा रक्ताङ्गी राजसी हि सा पीताम्बरा पीरवर्णा पीतमाल्यानुलेपना

Transliteration

raktavājisāmārūḍhā raktāṅgī rājasī hi sā pītāmbarā pīravarṇā pītamālyānulepanā

Translation

Mounted upon a red horse, red-limbed, she is indeed rājasic; (another) wore yellow garments, was yellow-hued, and had yellow garlands and unguents.

Speakers

• Not specified in the provided excerpt (descriptive narration).

Key Themes

• Guṇa theory applied to forms (rajas)
• Color symbolism (red/yellow)
• Vāhana-based differentiation (horse)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the significance of explicitly calling one figure rājasī?

It anchors the iconographic color-coding in Sāṃkhya/guṇa language: red and dynamic mounts (horse) align with rajas—energy, action, and force—distinguishing this manifestation’s temperament and likely function.

Why is yellow (pīta) introduced after red?

Purāṇic sets often enumerate multiple differentiated attendants or śaktis. Yellow commonly connotes prosperity, radiance, and auspicious vitality; in Vaiṣṇava contexts it can also echo Viṣṇu’s pītāmbara motif, though the verse itself does not name Viṣṇu.

Do these verses mention any tīrtha or geographic marker?

No. Despite the Vāmana Purāṇa’s strong geographic orientation, these three verses are purely descriptive (forms, colors, mounts) and contain no explicit toponyms (rivers, lakes, forests, or tīrthas).