Vamana Purana — Bali's Sudarshana Worship, Shloka 52

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

Devanagari script

न स संसारपङ्के ऽस्मिन् मज्जते दानवेश्वर कल्यमुत्थाय ये भक्त्या स्मरन्ति मधुसूदनम् स्तुवन्त्यप्यभिशृण्वन्ति दुर्गण्यतितरन्ति ते

Transliteration

na sa saṃsārapaṅke 'smin majjate dānaveśvara kalyamutthāya ye bhaktyā smaranti madhusūdanam stuvantyapyabhiśṛṇvanti durgaṇyatitaranti te

Translation

हे दानवेश्वरा! तो या संसाररूपी चिखलात बुडत नाही. जे पहाटे उठून भक्तीने मधुसूदनाचे स्मरण करतात, त्याची स्तुती करतात आणि श्रद्धेने ऐकतातही—ते दुर्गती व दुष्परिस्थिती ओलांडून जातात।

Speakers

• Narrator-sage addressing a Dānava ruler (vocative dānaveśvara)
• within the didactic flow of Adhyāya 67; the broader frame is typically a sage-to-sage dialogue (recensional variation).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Madhusūdana/Hari)

Key Themes

• Daily devotional discipline (dawn remembrance)
• Śravaṇa–kīrtana (hearing and praising)
• Saṃsāra as bondage (paṅka metaphor)
• Protection from durgati/misfortune through bhakti

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is the “dānaveśvara” being addressed, and why is he included in a bhakti teaching?

The vocative suggests a Daitya/Dānava sovereign—most naturally Bali in Purāṇic idiom—used as an instructive addressee to universalize bhakti: even those associated with the ‘asura’ lineage can be uplifted through remembrance, praise, and hearing of Hari.

What is the significance of “kalyaṃ utthāya” (rising at dawn) in this verse?

It marks a vrata-like daily regimen: early-morning remembrance is treated as a disciplined bhakti practice. In Purāṇic dharma sections, dawn (brāhma-muhūrta) is repeatedly singled out as conducive to purity, recollection, and effective worship.

How should “durgaṇyatitaranti” be understood—moral faults or external calamities?

The phrase can cover both: ‘durgaṇi’ may denote adverse conditions (durgati, misfortune) and also negative qualities (durguṇa). The verse’s promise is comprehensive—bhakti enables crossing beyond both inner defects and outer hardships that entangle beings in saṃsāra.