Vamana Purana — Bali's Sudarshana Worship, Shloka 11

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

Devanagari script

बलिरुवाच नमस्यामि हरेश्चक्रं दैत्यचक्रविदारणम् सहस्रांशुं सहस्राभं सहस्रारं सुनिर्मलम्

Transliteration

baliruvāca namasyāmi hareścakraṃ daityacakravidāraṇam sahasrāṃśuṃ sahasrābhaṃ sahasrāraṃ sunirmalam

Translation

Bali said: “I bow to Hari’s discus, the splitter of the Daityas’ host (lit. ‘wheel/array’); radiant with a thousand rays, shining with a thousandfold splendor, thousand-spoked, and perfectly pure.”

Speakers

• Bali speaking (stotra) to Sudarśana-cakra / Hari (Viṣṇu)
• within the narration addressed to a sage.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Hari/Vamana)
• Sudarshana (cakra)

Key Themes

• Stuti of Sudarśana
• Divine radiance and purity symbolism
• Asura devotion and surrender
• Dharma’s triumph through Viṣṇu’s śakti

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

How should ‘daitya-cakra’ be understood in ‘daitya-cakra-vidāraṇam’?

It can mean (1) the Daityas’ ‘wheel’ as a military formation/host, or (2) their ‘cycle’ of dominance and aggression. The hymn praises Sudarśana as the force that rends both their armies and their oppressive momentum.

What is the theological point of describing the cakra as ‘sahasrāṃśu’ and ‘su-nirmala’?

The imagery links Sudarśana to solar brilliance and moral purity: it illuminates (reveals truth) and purifies (removes adharma). In Purāṇic idiom, radiance is not merely physical light but the manifestation of divine order (ṛta/dharma).

Why would Bali, an Asura king, offer such reverent praise?

The Vāmana–Bali cycle often portrays Bali as capable of devotion and humility. His stuti highlights a Purāṇic theme: spiritual merit and recognition of divine sovereignty are not restricted by birth-group (Deva/Asura) but by conduct and insight.