Vamana Purana — Kali's Complaint to Brahma (Part 1), Shloka 39

Kali’s Complaint to Brahma and the Arrival of Śrī (Jayaśrī) in Bali’s Court

Devanagari script

एतदर्थ श्रियं दीप्तां काङ्क्षन्ते पुरुषोत्तमाः येनैतानि गृहे ऽस्माकं निवसन्ति सुनिर्वृताः

Transliteration

etadartha śriyaṃ dīptāṃ kāṅkṣante puruṣottamāḥ yenaitāni gṛhe 'smākaṃ nivasanti sunirvṛtāḥ

Translation

ഈ ലക്ഷ്യത്തിനായാണ് പുരുഷോത്തമർ ദീപ്തമായ ശ്രീസമ്പത്ത് ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നത്; അതുവഴി ഈ (ഗുണങ്ങൾ/ലാഭങ്ങൾ) നമ്മുടെ ഗൃഹത്തിൽ പരിപൂർണ്ണ സംതൃപ്തിയോടെ വസിക്കട്ടെ.

Speakers

• Unspecified in the excerpt; didactic speaker continuing counsel to a disciple/son.

Primary Deities

• Śrī (as prosperity/auspicious fortune; possibly Lakṣmī by implication)

Key Themes

• Prosperity aligned with virtue
• Householder dharma (gṛhastha)
• Auspicious presence in the home (śrī, kīrti, śreyas)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who are the “puruṣottamāḥ” in this verse—Viṣṇu or noble humans?

Grammatically it is plural, so it most directly means ‘the best of men’ (exemplary persons). While Puruṣottama is a famous epithet of Viṣṇu, the plural usage here points to human exemplars who seek śrī for a dharmic end.

What does “śrī” signify here beyond wealth?

Śrī includes auspiciousness, dignity, stability, and the capacity to sustain dharmic life. The verse frames prosperity as instrumental: it is sought so that ‘these’ auspicious qualities/results may reside in the household in a settled, content way.

What might “etāni” (“these”) refer to?

Within the immediate sequence, it most plausibly refers to the praiseworthy outcomes named earlier—śreyas (true good), kīrti (good renown), and freedom from ayaśas (disgrace)—or to the virtues/actions that generate them. The verse ties those benefits to the ideal of a harmonious home.