Vamana Purana — Kali's Complaint to Brahma (Part 2), Shloka 52

Kali’s Complaint to Brahma and the Arrival of Śrī (Jayaśrī) in Bali’s Reign

Devanagari script

त्रिविष्टपं शासति दानवेन्द्रे नासीन् क्षुधार्तो मलिनो न दीनः सदोज्ज्वलो धर्मरतो ऽथ दान्तः कामोपभोक्ता मनुजो ऽपि जातः

Transliteration

triviṣṭapaṃ śāsati dānavendre nāsīn kṣudhārto malino na dīnaḥ sadojjvalo dharmarato 'tha dāntaḥ kāmopabhoktā manujo 'pi jātaḥ

Translation

{"scene_description": "A chaotic battlefield moment: daityas fleeing in disarray after their commander is slain, dropping weapons, shields, and ornaments while devas press forward.", "primary_figures": ["Daityas", "Devas (Tridaśa)", "Fallen Dānava commander (implied)"], "setting": "Dusty war-ground with broken chariots, scattered bows, fallen standards, and swirling clouds of fear.", "color_palette": ["iron gray", "blood red", "dust ochre", "smoke black"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore-style battle tableau with gilded highlights on fallen standards and divine weapons; devas advancing in ordered ranks, daityas fleeing, ornate but discarded armor rendered with gold leaf, temple-like compositional symmetry.", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature of a turning-point rout: soft pastel sky over a crowded battlefield, expressive fleeing figures dropping bows and shields, delicate linework emphasizing motion and fear.", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural aesthetic with bold outlines and earthy pigments: devas as radiant figures pushing forward, daityas shown in retreat with exaggerated gestures, dense battlefield ornamentation and rhythmic patterning.", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra scroll segment showing sequential fleeing daityas, stylized weapons and shields scattered, narrative clarity with decorative borders and flat natural dyes."}

Speakers

• Narrator voice within the Pulastya–Nārada dialogue context (Pulastya describing the effects of Bali’s rule)

Primary Deities

• Indra (contextual)
• Vishnu (contextual)

Key Themes

• Ideal kingship and welfare
• Prosperity under righteous rule
• Dharma–Kāma balance
• Cosmic governance and legitimacy

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does ‘triviṣṭapa’ denote here?

It denotes Svarga, the celestial realm associated with the Tridaśas (the ‘Thirty-three’ gods). The verse states that Bali held sovereignty there, implying Indra’s displacement in the narrative arc.

How should ‘malina’ be read—physical impurity or moral decline?

Both senses are possible, but in a welfare-list (hunger, misery, impurity) it primarily signals absence of defilement and degradation in society; secondarily it can imply that Bali’s rule maintained order and restraint rather than chaos.

Why mention that ‘even a human’ became an enjoyer of pleasures?

It underscores social normalization: under stable, dharmic governance, people can pursue kāma without falling into disorder. Purāṇic political theology often presents dharma as the condition that makes legitimate enjoyment possible.