Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Victory through Bhakti, Shloka 38
Prahlada’s Defeat in Battle and Victory through Bhakti (Nara-Narayana Episode)
ततो दैत्यपतिं विष्णुं पीतवासाब्रवीद्वचः गच्छ जेष्यसि भक्त्या तं न युद्धेन कथञ्चन
tato daityapatiṃ viṣṇuṃ pītavāsābravīdvacaḥ gaccha jeṣyasi bhaktyā taṃ na yuddhena kathañcana
Kemudian Yang berjubah kuning, Viṣṇu, berkata kepada raja kaum Daitya: “Pergilah; engkau akan menewaskannya dengan bhakti, bukan dengan peperangan dalam apa jua cara sekalipun.”
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FAQs
Victory is framed as moral and spiritual rather than merely martial: the verse elevates bhakti (devotional alignment with the divine will) above coercive power. It also implies that dharmic restraint can be superior to violence even in a conflict setting.
Primarily Vamśānucarita/Carita (narrative of divine–asura interactions and exemplary figures). It is not cosmogenesis (sarga/pratisarga) but ethical-theological instruction embedded in storyline.
The ‘yellow-robed’ Vishnu symbolizes sattvic sovereignty and guidance; the instruction ‘not by war’ recasts conquest as inner submission and rightful order. In Vamana–Bali dynamics, it anticipates Bali’s eventual exaltation through surrender rather than resistance.