Vamana Purana — Kali's Complaint to Brahma (Part 2), Shloka 15

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

Devanagari script

तामागतां निरीक्ष्यैव सहस्राक्षश्रियं बलिः पप्रच्छ कासि मां ब्रूहि केनास्यर्थेन चागता

Transliteration

tāmāgatāṃ nirīkṣyaiva sahasrākṣaśriyaṃ baliḥ papraccha kāsi māṃ brūhi kenāsyarthena cāgatā

Translation

Seeing her arrive—she who was the very Śrī (Fortune) of Sahasrākṣa (Indra)—Bali questioned her: “Who are you? Tell me. For what purpose have you come here?”

Speakers

• Narrator (context) presenting Bali’s speech to Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• formerly associated with Indra.

Primary Deities

• Śrī/Lakṣmī
• Indra (Maghavā)
• Bali

Key Themes

• Royal fortune (Śrī) as transferable
• Rise of Asura sovereignty and decline of Devas
• Inquiry and recognition of divine presence
• Karma and merit as causes of prosperity

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Śrī called “Sahasrākṣaśrī” here?

The compound indicates that she was the ‘Śrī of Sahasrākṣa (Indra)’, i.e., the prosperity and sovereign splendor that empowers Indra’s rule. The verse frames Śrī as a movable principle of kingship rather than a fixed possession.

What is the theological idea behind Bali asking ‘Who are you?’

Even when Śrī is recognized as Indra’s fortune, her appearance is numinous and ambiguous; the question underscores that prosperity is not merely material but a divine agency whose presence must be understood in terms of dharma, merit, and cosmic order.

Does this verse contain any tīrtha or geographical marker typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

No. This śloka is narrative-dialogic and does not name any sacred geography; it functions as a transition into the explanation of why Śrī has shifted her abode.