Vamana Purana — Kali's Complaint to Brahma (Part 1), Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

ते हन्यमाना दितिजैर्देवाः शक्रपुरोगमाः गते जनार्दने देवे प्रायशो विमुख्याभवन्

Transliteration

te hanyamānā ditijairdevāḥ śakrapurogamāḥ gate janārdane deve prāyaśo vimukhyābhavan

Translation

When Janārdana (Viṣṇu) had departed, the gods—led by Śakra (Indra)—being struck down by the sons of Diti (the Daityas), for the most part turned away in defeat (lost heart and retreated).

Speakers

• Narratorial voice (Purāṇic narrator) describing events; not a direct dialogue in this verse.

Primary Deities

• Viṣṇu (Janārdana)
• Indra (Śakra)

Key Themes

• Divine absence and cosmic imbalance
• Deva–Daitya conflict
• Indra’s vulnerability without Viṣṇu’s support

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "karuna", "secondaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why does the verse stress ‘gate janārdane’ (when Janārdana had gone)?

It frames the Devas’ defeat as a theological motif: without Viṣṇu’s sustaining presence (or before his decisive avatāra action), even Indra’s host cannot maintain sovereignty. The narrative sets up the necessity of Viṣṇu’s intervention in the Bali cycle.

Does ‘vimukhyābhavan’ mean physical retreat or inner despair?

Both senses are compatible. In epic-Purāṇic battle idiom, ‘vimukha’ indicates turning one’s face away (rout/retreat), and by extension loss of resolve—an inward collapse mirrored by outward withdrawal.

Who are the ‘ditijāḥ’ here?

They are Daityas—descendants of Diti—functioning as the principal antagonists of the Devas in this episode, typically aligned with Bali’s faction in the Vāmana narrative cycle.