Shloka 12
Umā–Maheśvara-saṃvāda: Varṇa-bhraṃśa, Ācāra (Vṛtta), and Karmic Ascent/Decline
वाराहं रूपमास्थाय हिरण्याक्षो निपातित: । वामनं रूपमास्थाय जितो राजा मया बलि:
vārāhaṁ rūpam āsthāya hiraṇyākṣo nipātitaḥ | vāmanaṁ rūpam āsthāya jito rājā mayā baliḥ ||
ភីෂ្មៈបាននិយាយថា៖ «ឱ ព្រះមហាក្សត្រ! ដោយទ្រង់យករូបអវតារជាជ្រូកព្រៃ (វារាហៈ) ព្រះវិṣṇុបានផ្តួលអសុរ ហិរṇ្យាក្សៈឲ្យដួលរលំ; ហើយដោយទ្រង់យករូបជាព្រាហ្មណ៍តូច វាមនៈ ទ្រង់បានបង្ក្រាបព្រះបាលីមហាក្សត្រ»។
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That the divine assumes appropriate forms to restore dharma: destructive force is directed against adharma (violent arrogance and oppression), while even a mighty king like Bali can be restrained through righteous strategy, reminding rulers to temper power with humility and moral limits.
Bhīṣma recounts Viṣṇu’s celebrated deeds through incarnations: as Varāha he defeats Hiraṇyākṣa, and as Vāmana he overcomes King Bali—examples invoked to illustrate how cosmic order is re-established when it is threatened.