Vamana Purana — Kali's Complaint to Brahma (Part 2), Shloka 46

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

Devanagari script

प्रसूतस्यासुरेन्द्रस्य तव कर्म यदीदृशम् विशेषितस्त्वया राजन् दैतेयः प्रपितामहः

Transliteration

prasūtasyāsurendrasya tava karma yadīdṛśam viśeṣitastvayā rājan daiteyaḥ prapitāmahaḥ

Translation

“Since you are born of an Asura-lord, your conduct being of such a kind is understandable. O king, your Daitya great-grandfather has been distinguished (made eminent) by you.”

Speakers

• (Vāmana/Viṣṇu) speaking to Bali

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Vāmana)

Key Themes

• Genealogical framing of virtue/vice
• Royal ethics (rāja-dharma)
• Reputation of ancestors through descendants
• Rhetorical praise as a moral probe

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is the ‘āsurendra’ and ‘prapitāmaha’ implied here?

The verse speaks generically of Bali’s eminent Daitya ancestry (the Asura royal line). In the broader Bali cycle, this points to the famous Daitya kings (e.g., Hiraṇyakaśipu and related forebears), emphasizing inherited prestige that Bali is expected to uphold or surpass ethically.

What does it mean that Bali ‘distinguished’ his great-grandfather?

In Purāṇic idiom, a descendant’s fame can ‘raise’ the standing of the lineage. The line suggests Bali’s actions have enhanced ancestral renown—again a subtle pressure to act consistently with honor and truthfulness.

Any geographic/tīrtha data here?

None. The śloka is purely dialogic and genealogical, with no named rivers, forests, kṣetras, or tīrthas.