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
Śrī Bhagavān bersabda: “Wahai brahmana terbaik, Aku bergantung pada bhakta-Ku; Aku ‘dibeli’ oleh bhakti dan bukan oleh apa pun selain itu. Aku pelaksana titah Bali, sebab oleh ikrarku sendiri Aku berada dalam kuasa raja para Daitya itu.”
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.