Vamana Purana — Kali's Complaint to Brahma (Part 1), Shloka 50

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

Devanagari script

इत्थं वचः श्राण्य महासुरेन्द्रो बलिं महात्मा स बभूव तूष्णीम् ततो यदाज्ञापयसे करिष्ये इत्थं बलिः प्राह वचो महर्षे

Transliteration

itthaṃ vacaḥ śrāṇya mahāsurendro baliṃ mahātmā sa babhūva tūṣṇīm tato yadājñāpayase kariṣye itthaṃ baliḥ prāha vaco maharṣe

Translation

Having heard these words, the great lord of the Asuras—Bali, the high-souled—became silent. Then he said: “Whatever you command, I shall do.” Thus spoke Bali to the great sage.

Speakers

• Bali to a Maharshi (the sage addressed in the immediate narrative context; likely the authoritative interlocutor in the Vamana–Bali episode)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Vamana/Trivikrama)

Key Themes

• Dharma (keeping one’s word)
• Submission to higher authority
• Asura kingship under divine ordinance
• Moral transformation through counsel

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Bali’s silence emphasized before he agrees to obey?

In Purāṇic narrative technique, silence marks inner deliberation and the weight of dharma. Bali’s subsequent vow—“whatever you command, I shall do”—signals a conscious, dharma-grounded submission rather than impulsive compliance.

Who is the “maharṣi” addressed here?

The verse itself only says “maharṣe” (O great sage). In the Vāmana–Bali cycle, such address typically points to the authoritative sage present in the episode (often Śukra or another rishi depending on recension). The safest metadata is to record it as “a maharṣi in the immediate narrative frame,” unless the surrounding verses identify him explicitly.

What is the theological point of Bali’s statement ‘Whatever you command, I shall do’?

It frames Bali as capable of dharmic conduct even as an Asura ruler. The Vāmana narrative often uses Bali to illustrate that truthfulness, promise-keeping, and surrender to divine order can appear in any lineage, thereby universalizing dharma.