Vamana Purana — Bali's Sudarshana Worship, Shloka 16

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

Devanagari script

तन्मे दहस्व दीप्तांशो विष्णोश्चक्र सुदर्शन यन्मे कुलोद्भवं पापं पैतृकं मातृकं तथा

Transliteration

tanme dahasva dīptāṃśo viṣṇoścakra sudarśana yanme kulodbhavaṃ pāpaṃ paitṛkaṃ mātṛkaṃ tathā

Translation

“Burn that (sin) of mine, O radiant one—O Sudarśana, the discus of Viṣṇu—whatever sin of mine is born of my lineage, whether paternal or maternal.”

Speakers

• Supplicant addressing Sudarśana-cakra directly

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Sudarśana-cakra

Key Themes

• Ancestral/lineage purification
• Protective and purificatory power of Sudarśana
• Ritual-moral inheritance (paitṛka/mātṛka)
• Fire imagery for sin-destruction

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does ‘kulodbhava pāpa’ mean in Purāṇic religious language?

It denotes demerit or ritual-moral blemish associated with one’s lineage—such as consequences of ancestral misconduct, unresolved obligations, or inherited social-ritual conditions. The verse frames Sudarśana as capable of purifying even such deep-seated taints.

Why specify both paternal and maternal lines?

By naming both (paitṛka and mātṛka), the prayer becomes exhaustive, acknowledging that identity and obligations arise from both lineages and that purification should not be partial or one-sided.

Is ‘burning sin’ literal or symbolic?

Symbolic. ‘Burning’ is a standard Vedic-Purāṇic metaphor: divine radiance (tejas) consumes impurity the way fire consumes fuel, indicating transformation and cleansing rather than physical combustion.