Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Counsel to Andhaka, Shloka 58

Shukra’s Curse on King Danda and Prahlada’s Counsel to Andhaka on Dharma

Devanagari script

याथातथ्यं च तान् सर्वानाह सेनापतिर्बली ते चापि बलिनां श्रेष्ठाः सन्नद्धा युद्धकाङ्क्षिणः

Transliteration

yāthātathyaṃ ca tān sarvānāha senāpatirbalī te cāpi balināṃ śreṣṭhāḥ sannaddhā yuddhakāṅkṣiṇaḥ

Translation

«Alors le commandant Bali leur exposa à tous les faits tels qu’ils étaient en vérité ; et ceux qui étaient les premiers parmi les puissants, entièrement armés, brûlaient du désir du combat.»

Speakers

• Narrator reporting Bali (as senāpati) speaking to the assembled Mahāsuras in the sabhā.

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Leadership and command (senāpati)
• Truthful briefing (yāthātathya)
• Kṣātra ethos: readiness for battle

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Bali called ‘senāpati’ here—does it imply he is not king?

‘Senāpati’ highlights his functional role as commander in this episode; Purāṇic narratives often shift titles to emphasize the immediate narrative function (political leader vs. military organizer).

What does ‘yāthātathya’ contribute to the portrayal of Bali?

It frames Bali as giving a factual, strategic report rather than mere agitation—an idiom of competent governance and military counsel in epic-Purāṇic style.

Is this verse part of the Vāmana–Bali (Trivikrama) story?

No. Although Bali is the same famed Daitya, this passage belongs to the Andhaka-related war narrative context rather than the Vāmana avatāra’s three-steps episode.