Vamana Purana — Portents at Bali's Sacrifice, Shloka 80

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

Devanagari script

ततो दृष्टो ऽस्मि नृपतेर्भृत्यैरतुलविक्रमैः शस्त्रहस्तैः सर्वतश्च तैरहं परिवेष्टितः

Transliteration

tato dṛṣṭo 'smi nṛpaterbhṛtyairatulavikramaiḥ śastrahastaiḥ sarvataśca tairahaṃ pariveṣṭitaḥ

Translation

“Then I was seen by the king’s servants of incomparable prowess; with weapons in their hands, from every side, I was surrounded by them.”

Speakers

• Narrator (first-person) continuing the account to the audience within the Purāṇic dialogue frame (not specified in prompt).

Key Themes

• Royal authority and enforcement
• Threat of violence
• Encirclement motif
• Testing of restraint vs. retaliation

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why emphasize ‘atula-vikrama’ for mere servants?

Purāṇic narration often heightens the danger by attributing heroic prowess even to retainers, thereby magnifying the protagonist’s predicament and the moral stakes of any response (violence vs. forbearance).

What does ‘pariveṣṭita’ contribute beyond ‘they came’?

Pariveṣṭita indicates tactical encirclement—no escape route—suggesting an imminent punitive action rather than a mere inquiry. It also sets up the next verse’s plea not to harm.

Is any deity implied by the scene?

Not directly. The verse is secular-courtly in tone; any theological reading (e.g., divine protection) would require surrounding verses that name the protagonist or invoke a deity.