Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2
श्रीभगवानुवाच । पराधीनोऽस्मि विप्रेन्द्र भक्त्या क्रीतोऽस्मि नान्यथा । बलेरादेशकारी च दैत्येन्द्रवशगो ह्यहम्
śrībhagavānuvāca | parādhīno'smi viprendra bhaktyā krīto'smi nānyathā | balerādeśakārī ca daityendravaśago hyaham
Le Seigneur Bienheureux dit : « Ô le meilleur des brahmanes, je dépends de mon dévot ; c’est la bhakti qui m’a “acheté”, et rien d’autre. J’exécute l’ordre de Bali, car, par mon propre vœu, je suis sous l’emprise du seigneur des Daityas. »
Śrī Bhagavān (Govinda/Kṛṣṇa; Devadeveśa from prior verse)
Tirtha: Dvārakā
Type: kshetra
Listener: Sages/assembly (implicit)
Scene: The Lord speaks to a revered Brahmin-sage: serene yet emphatic, declaring His dependence on devotion; behind the words stands the unseen weight of the Vāmana–Bali vow, with Bali’s sovereignty honored by the Lord’s own promise.
FAQs
Bhakti is portrayed as supreme: the Lord willingly becomes ‘dependent’ upon the devotee, honoring vows and devotion over mere force.
The teaching is delivered within Dvārakā-māhātmya, linking Dvārakā’s sanctity with the theology of devotion.
No direct rite; it states a dharmic principle—God’s fidelity to vows/commitments (satya and niyama) in relation to Bali.