Vamana Purana — Bali's Sudarshana Worship, Shloka 76

Prahlada's Teaching on Vishnu-Bhakti

Devanagari script

तस्माद् ध्यानं स्मरणं कीर्तनं वा नाम्नां श्रवणं पठतां सज्जनानाम् कार्यं विष्णोः श्रद्दधानैर्मनुष्यैः पूजातुल्यं तत् प्रशंसन्ति देवा // वम्प्_67.75 बाह्यैस्तथान्तःकरणैरविक्लवैर्यो नार्चयेत् केशवमीशितरम् पुष्पैश्च पत्रैर्जलपल्लवादिभिर्नूनं स मुष्टो विधितस्करेण

Transliteration

tasmād dhyānaṃ smaraṇaṃ kīrtanaṃ vā nāmnāṃ śravaṇaṃ paṭhatāṃ sajjanānām kāryaṃ viṣṇoḥ śraddadhānairmanuṣyaiḥ pūjātulyaṃ tat praśaṃsanti devā // VamP_67.75 bāhyaistathāntaḥkaraṇairaviklavairyo nārcayet keśavamīśitaram puṣpaiśca patrairjalapallavādibhirnūnaṃ sa muṣṭo vidhitaskareṇa

Translation

“Therefore, for faithful people, meditation, remembrance, praise (kīrtana), and hearing of the Names—by those who recite and by the virtuous—should be practiced with regard to Viṣṇu. The gods praise these as equal to worship (pūjā). He who does not worship Keśava, the sovereign Lord, with steady outer means and an unwavering inner instrument (mind/heart)—with flowers, leaves, water, sprouts and the like—surely has been robbed by a thief in the form of fate/ordained destiny.”

Speakers

• Unspecified in the provided excerpt; normative instruction to devotees/householders

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Keshava

Key Themes

• Fourfold bhakti practice (dhyāna–smaraṇa–kīrtana–śravaṇa)
• Equivalence of inner devotion to formal pūjā
• Accessibility of worship through simple offerings
• Moral warning against neglecting worship

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

How can hearing and chanting be ‘equal to pūjā’ according to this passage?

The text treats devotion as fundamentally intentional and relational: when performed with faith (śraddhā), practices like nāma-śravaṇa and kīrtana are not secondary but are recognized by the gods as equivalent in merit to formal ritual worship.

What is meant by worship with ‘outer’ and ‘inner’ steadiness?

Outer steadiness refers to consistent practice and offerings (even simple items like water and leaves). Inner steadiness refers to an unshaken antaḥkaraṇa—focused mind and sincere intent—without which external ritual is hollow.

Who is the ‘thief in the form of fate’ (vidhita-skareṇa)?

It is a moral metaphor: neglect of worship is portrayed as if one’s spiritual opportunity has been stolen by ‘ordained’ misfortune—often understood as the combined force of past karma, distraction, and complacency that deprives a person of devotion’s fruits.