Vamana Purana — Bali's Sudarshana Worship, Shloka 40

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

Devanagari script

ये शङ्खचक्राब्जकरं सशार्ङ्गिणं खगेन्द्रकेतुं वरदं श्रियः पतिम् समाश्रयन्ते भवभीतिनाशनं संसारगर्ते न पतन्ति ते पुनः

Transliteration

ye śaṅkhacakrābjakaraṃ saśārṅgiṇaṃ khagendraketuṃ varadaṃ śriyaḥ patim samāśrayante bhavabhītināśanaṃ saṃsāragarte na patanti te punaḥ

Translation

ಶಂಖ-ಚಕ್ರ-ಪದ್ಮಗಳನ್ನು ಧರಿಸಿದ ಕೈಗಳಿರುವ, ಶಾರ್ಙ್ಗ ಧನುಸ್ಸನ್ನು ಹಿಡಿದ, ಗರುಡಧ್ವಜ, ವರಪ್ರದ, ಶ್ರೀಪತಿ, ಭವಭಯನಾಶಕನಾದ ಪ್ರಭುವನ್ನು ಶರಣಾದವರು ಮತ್ತೆ ಸಂಸಾರಗರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಬೀಳುವುದಿಲ್ಲ।

Speakers

• Unspecified in the provided excerpt (didactic-stuti voice addressing an implied audience).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Lakshmi
• Garuda

Key Themes

• Śaraṇāgati (taking refuge)
• Soteriology (liberation from saṃsāra)
• Iconography of Viṣṇu (emblems and banner)
• Bhava-bhīti-nāśana (removal of existential fear)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the theological force of listing Viṣṇu’s emblems (conch, discus, lotus, bow, Garuḍa-banner)?

The emblems function as a compact theology: protection and dharma (cakra), auspiciousness and purity (padma), sovereign power (Śārṅga), and swift salvific reach (Garuḍa). The list identifies the refuge-object unambiguously as Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa.

What does ‘saṃsāra-garta’ (pit of saṃsāra) imply?

It portrays rebirth as a dangerous entrapment—hard to escape without support. The verse asserts that śaraṇāgati to Viṣṇu prevents ‘falling back’ into that condition, i.e., grants stable deliverance rather than temporary relief.

Is this teaching compatible with tīrtha-māhātmya sections of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

Yes. Tīrtha-māhātmyas often culminate in stuti and refuge-doctrine: pilgrimage and ritual are framed as supports, while ultimate efficacy is attributed to devotion and surrender to the presiding deity (here, Viṣṇu as Śrīpati).