Vamana Purana — Bali's Sudarshana Worship, Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

तं च श्रुत्वा महाशब्दं बलिः खङ्गं समाददे आः किमेतदितीत्थञ्च पप्रच्छासुरपुङ्गवः

Transliteration

taṃ ca śrutvā mahāśabdaṃ baliḥ khaṅgaṃ samādade āḥ kimetaditītthañca papracchāsurapuṅgavaḥ

Translation

Hearing that great sound, Bali took up his sword and exclaimed, ‘Ah! What is this?’—thus questioned the foremost of the Asuras.

Speakers

• Narrator voice describing Bali’s reaction (within the Vāmana–Bali narrative frame)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Kṣatriya-like readiness and royal duty (weapon-taking)
• Portent and inquiry
• Asura kingship and valor
• Narrative escalation in the Vāmana–Bali cycle

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does Bali immediately take up a sword?

The gesture marks royal vigilance and the dharma of a ruler/warrior archetype: a sudden cosmic disturbance is treated as a potential threat to the realm, demanding readiness before deliberation.

Is Bali portrayed purely as a villain here?

No. The epithet ‘asura-puṅgava’ signals stature and leadership. In the broader Vāmana–Bali tradition, Bali is complex—valorous and generous—yet positioned against the reassertion of divine cosmic order.

How does this moment function in the narrative?

It is a hinge from cosmic omen (the roar) to human/agent response (Bali’s inquiry), preparing for explanation by another character (Vindhyāvalī in the next verse).