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
श्रीभगवान बोले—हे विप्रश्रेष्ठ, मैं भक्त के अधीन हूँ; भक्ति से ही मैं ‘खरीदा’ जाता हूँ, अन्यथा नहीं। मैं बलि की आज्ञा का पालन करने वाला हूँ, क्योंकि अपने व्रत से मैं दैत्येन्द्र के वश में हूँ।
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.