Vamana Purana — Bali's Sudarshana Worship, Shloka 59

Bali’s Worship of Sudarshana and Prahlada’s Teaching on Vishnu-Bhakti

Devanagari script

विष्णुरेव गतिर्योषां कुतस्तेषां पराजयः येषामिन्दीवरश्यामो हृदयस्थो जनार्दनः

Transliteration

viṣṇureva gatiryoṣāṃ kutasteṣāṃ parājayaḥ yeṣāmindīvaraśyāmo hṛdayastho janārdanaḥ

Translation

Bagi mereka yang satu-satunya tempat berlindungnya adalah Viṣṇu, dari mana kekalahan dapat datang? Mereka yang di dalam hatinya bersemayam Janārdana, gelap bak teratai biru.

Speakers

• Not specified in input (didactic voice within Adhyāya 67).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Janārdana)

Key Themes

• Viṣṇu as gati (sole refuge)
• Inner indwelling of the deity (hṛdaya-stha)
• Protection and spiritual invincibility of devotees
• Bhakti as victory over adversity

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What kind of ‘defeat’ (parājaya) is meant—worldly or spiritual?

Purāṇic usage allows both, but the primary force is spiritual: one who holds Viṣṇu as gati is not ultimately overcome by sin, fear, or saṃsāric downfall. Worldly reversals may occur, yet they do not constitute final defeat.

Why describe Janārdana as ‘indīvara-śyāma’ (blue-lotus dark)?

The blue-lotus simile is a conventional marker of Viṣṇu’s auspicious beauty and transcendence. It also supports meditative interiorization: devotees visualize the Lord’s form as present within the heart.

How does ‘hṛdayastho janārdanaḥ’ function in a text concerned with sacred geography?

It complements external sacred space with internal sacred space. Even when the Vāmana Purāṇa maps rivers and tīrthas, it repeatedly implies that the highest ‘kṣetra’ is the purified heart where the deity is enthroned through bhakti.