Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Counsel to Andhaka, Shloka 58

Shukra’s Curse on King Danda and Prahlada’s Counsel to Andhaka on Dharma

Devanagari script

याथातथ्यं च तान् सर्वानाह सेनापतिर्बली ते चापि बलिनां श्रेष्ठाः सन्नद्धा युद्धकाङ्क्षिणः

Transliteration

yāthātathyaṃ ca tān sarvānāha senāpatirbalī te cāpi balināṃ śreṣṭhāḥ sannaddhā yuddhakāṅkṣiṇaḥ

Translation

“Lalu panglima Bali menyampaikan kepada mereka semua keadaan sebagaimana adanya; dan mereka yang terunggul di antara yang kuat, lengkap bersenjata, merindukan peperangan.”

Speakers

• Narrator reporting Bali (as senāpati) speaking to the assembled Mahāsuras in the sabhā.

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Leadership and command (senāpati)
• Truthful briefing (yāthātathya)
• Kṣātra ethos: readiness for battle

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Bali called ‘senāpati’ here—does it imply he is not king?

‘Senāpati’ highlights his functional role as commander in this episode; Purāṇic narratives often shift titles to emphasize the immediate narrative function (political leader vs. military organizer).

What does ‘yāthātathya’ contribute to the portrayal of Bali?

It frames Bali as giving a factual, strategic report rather than mere agitation—an idiom of competent governance and military counsel in epic-Purāṇic style.

Is this verse part of the Vāmana–Bali (Trivikrama) story?

No. Although Bali is the same famed Daitya, this passage belongs to the Andhaka-related war narrative context rather than the Vāmana avatāra’s three-steps episode.