Vamana Purana — Bali Learns of Vamana, Shloka 26

Bali Learns of Vamana in Aditi’s Womb and Prahlada Teaches Refuge in Hari

Devanagari script

धिक्त्वां पापसमारारं दुषुटबुद्धिं सुबालिशम् हरिं निन्दयतो जिह्वा कथं न पतिता तव

Transliteration

dhiktvāṃ pāpasamārāraṃ duṣuṭabuddhiṃ subāliśam hariṃ nindayato jihvā kathaṃ na patitā tava

Translation

धिक्कार है तुम पर—पापाचारी, दुष्टबुद्धि और परम मूढ़! हरि की निन्दा करते हुए तुम्हारी जीभ कैसे नहीं गिर पड़ी?

Speakers

• A righteous speaker (rebuker) addressing a blasphemer of Hari/Viṣṇu (addressee). Exact named interlocutors not specified in the provided excerpt.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Hari)

Key Themes

• Condemnation of deity-blasphemy (nindā-doṣa)
• Ethics of speech (vāk-saṃyama)
• Devotional reverence toward Viṣṇu
• Sin and moral accountability

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the doctrinal point of the ‘tongue falling off’ image?

It is a Purāṇic hyperbole used to stress the gravity of nindā (reviling) of the Lord. The text frames blasphemy as a speech-act that should immediately bear karmic consequence, underscoring the need for restraint and reverence in religious discourse.

Is this aimed at a particular sectarian opponent?

In many Purāṇic contexts, such rebukes can appear in sectarian polemics, but the verse itself is framed as a general ethical condemnation of insulting Hari/Viṣṇu rather than naming a rival deity or community.

How does this relate to dharma teaching in the Vāmana Purāṇa?

Even within narrative sections, the Vāmana Purāṇa frequently inserts dharma-instruction. Here, the narrative voice uses moral censure to teach that speech against the ‘trailokya-guru’ (teacher of the three worlds) is a serious transgression.