Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Instructions to Bali, Shloka 57

Prahlada’s Instructions to Bali on Vishnu Worship, Monthly Gifts, and Building Hari’s Temple

Devanagari script

गते हि तस्मिन् मुदिते पितामहे बलेर्बभौ मन्दिरमिन्दुवर्णम् महेन्द्रशिल्पिप्रवरो ऽथ केशवं स कारयामास महामहीयान्

Transliteration

gate hi tasmin mudite pitāmahe balerbabhau mandiraminduvarṇam mahendraśilpipravaro 'tha keśavaṃ sa kārayāmāsa mahāmahīyān

Translation

When that (Vāmana/Viṣṇu) had departed and the grandsire (Brahmā) was pleased, there appeared for Bali a temple, moon-hued in color. Then Keśava—an excellent craftsman like Mahendra (Indra)—had that greatly glorious (shrine) constructed.

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic narrator) describing events to the listening sage/audience (contextually within the Vāmana–Bali narration).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Keśava/Vāmana/Trivikrama)
• Brahma (Pitāmaha)
• Indra (Mahendra)

Key Themes

• Temple construction (devālaya/mandira)
• Bhakti expressed through sacred architecture
• Divine approval (Brahmā’s pleasure)
• Bali’s post-submission devotion
• Royal patronage of worship

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is ‘pitāmaha’ here, and why is his delight mentioned?

‘Pitāmaha’ is Brahmā, the grandsire of beings. His pleasure signals cosmic sanction: Bali’s new devotional orientation (after the Vāmana episode) is affirmed by the creator-god, legitimizing the establishment of Viṣṇu’s shrine.

Why describe the temple as ‘moon-colored’ (induvarṇa)?

The epithet suggests auspicious purity and serene brilliance, a conventional Purāṇic aesthetic for sacred structures. It also contrasts with the earlier martial/cosmic tension of the Trivikrama act, marking a transition into pacified devotion and ritual order.

How can Keśava be called a ‘foremost craftsman like Indra’?

Indra is associated with divine architecture (e.g., celestial palaces). Calling Keśava ‘mahendra-śilpi-pravara’ poetically attributes supreme skill and sovereignty over sacred construction to Viṣṇu, emphasizing that the shrine’s establishment is ultimately divinely authored even if executed through agents.