Vamana Purana — Bali's Sudarshana Worship, Shloka 17

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

Devanagari script

तन्मे हरस्व तरसा नमस्ते अच्युतायुध आधयो मम नश्यन्तु व्याधयो यान्तु संक्षयम् त्वन्नामकीर्तनाच् चक्र दुरितं यातु संक्षयम्

Transliteration

tanme harasva tarasā namaste acyutāyudha ādhayo mama naśyantu vyādhayo yāntu saṃkṣayam tvannāmakīrtanāc cakra duritaṃ yātu saṃkṣayam

Translation

“Swiftly remove that (evil) of mine; homage to you, O weapon of Acyuta. May my afflictions perish; may my diseases go to destruction. Through the chanting of your name, O Cakra, may misfortune/sin be brought to an end.”

Speakers

• Supplicant addressing Sudarśana as Acyuta’s weapon

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Acyuta)
• Sudarśana-cakra

Key Themes

• Nāma-kīrtana (power of divine name)
• Healing and protection (ādhī-vyādhi-nāśa)
• Pāpa/durita-kṣaya
• Devotional soteriology through stuti

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the distinction between ‘ādhayaḥ’ and ‘vyādhayaḥ’ here?

Ādhayaḥ commonly denotes afflictions broadly—worries, calamities, psychosocial distress—while vyādhayaḥ points more specifically to bodily diseases. The verse prays for relief on both the mental-social and physical planes.

How does ‘nāma-kīrtana’ function in this verse’s theology?

The verse asserts that recitation of Sudarśana’s name itself is efficacious, not merely a prelude to ritual. This aligns with Purāṇic bhakti where sound (nāma) is treated as a direct conduit of divine presence and power.

Why call Sudarśana ‘Acyutāyudha’ instead of naming Viṣṇu alone?

It emphasizes inseparability: the weapon is ‘of Acyuta’—deriving authority from Viṣṇu—yet is addressed as an active divine agent. This is typical of Purāṇic stotras where attributes (āyudha, śakti) are invoked for specific protective outcomes.