Vamana Purana — Kali's Complaint to Brahma (Part 2), Shloka 28
Kali’s Complaint to Brahma and the Arrival of Śrī (Jayaśrī) in Bali’s Reign
सा चेन्द्रेणासुरश्रेष्ठ मनुना च यशस्विनी वैश्यास्तां पीतवसनां कनकाङ्गीं सदैव हि
sā cendreṇāsuraśreṣṭha manunā ca yaśasvinī vaiśyāstāṃ pītavasanāṃ kanakāṅgīṃ sadaiva hi
[{"question": "Why is Viṣṇu called ‘trailokya-guru’ here?", "answer": "The epithet presents Viṣṇu as the ultimate source of order, instruction, and right conduct across the cosmos. In Purāṇic idiom, calling a deity ‘guru’ elevates the offense of reviling Him to an offense against the very foundation of dharma."}, {"question": "What role do ‘sādhus’ play in this verse?", "answer": "They function as the ethical community whose judgment reflects dharma. The verse implies that blasphemy is not merely a private fault but a public moral breach recognized and condemned by the virtuous."}, {"question": "Does ‘abhinindasi’ intensify the charge?", "answer": "Yes. The prefix abhi- often conveys directness or emphasis—suggesting deliberate, pointed revilement rather than casual or inadvertent speech."}]
{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
The triad signals Śrī’s trans-cosmic sovereignty: she is sought by devas (Indra), asuras (a foremost Asura), and human progenitors/lawgivers (Manu). Prosperity and legitimacy are portrayed as dependent on Śrī regardless of faction.
Yellow and gold are conventional markers of wealth, grain, trade, and abundance—domains culturally associated with Vaiśya life. The verse encodes an iconography of prosperity suited to their social function.
Not in this verse alone. It is a title that can apply to prominent daityas (e.g., Bali in some contexts), but without an explicit name here it should be read as a generic ‘chief of Asuras’ emphasizing Śrī’s universal desirability.