Vamana Purana — Portents at Bali's Sacrifice, Shloka 16

Portents at Bali’s Sacrifice and the Kośakāra’s Son: The Power of Past Karma

Devanagari script

बलिरुवाच मया न चोक्तं वचनं हि भार्गव न चास्ति मह्यं न च दातुमुत्सहे समागते ऽप्ययर्थिनि हीनवृत्ते जनार्दने लोकपतौ कथं तु

Transliteration

baliruvāca mayā na coktaṃ vacanaṃ hi bhārgava na cāsti mahyaṃ na ca dātumutsahe samāgate 'pyayarthini hīnavṛtte janārdane lokapatau kathaṃ tu

Translation

Bali said: “O Bhārgava (Śukra), I have not spoken any false word. Nor is there (any deceit) in me; nor do I shrink from giving. Even when a petitioner of low conduct comes before me, how could I refuse—especially when Janārdana, the Lord of the worlds, has arrived (as a supplicant)?”

Speakers

• Bali to Śukrācārya (Bhārgava)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Janārdana/Vāmana)

Key Themes

• Satya (truthfulness)
• Dāna (charity)
• Brāhmaṇa as petitioner (atithi/ārthin)
• Royal dharma (kṣatriya-dharma)
• Devotion and recognition of the divine in disguise

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does Bali mention ‘even a petitioner of low conduct’ (hīna-vṛtta)?

Bali frames dāna as a vow-like royal ethic: the worthiness of the recipient is secondary to the king’s commitment to giving and to protecting the social expectation that a petitioner is not turned away. In the Vāmana context, this heightens Bali’s resolve—if he would not refuse even an unworthy petitioner, refusal is unthinkable when the petitioner is actually Janārdana in disguise.

What is the narrative tension with Śukrācārya here?

Śukra (Bhārgava) typically warns Bali that the brāhmaṇa petitioner is Viṣṇu and that the gift will cause Bali’s loss of sovereignty. Bali’s reply asserts satya and dāna as higher than expedient self-preservation, presenting Bali as dharma-driven even when dharma leads to personal downfall.

Does this verse imply a doctrine of giving without discernment?

Not as a blanket rule. Purāṇic dharma often balances dāna with discernment (deśa-kāla-pātra). Here, the emphasis is rhetorical and situational: Bali’s steadfastness is showcased to contrast human calculation with divine purpose, and to establish Bali’s moral stature before the cosmic reversal enacted by Vāmana.