Vamana Purana — Bali Learns of Vamana, Shloka 36

Bali Learns of Vamana in Aditi’s Womb and Prahlada Teaches Refuge in Hari

Devanagari script

यता न तस्मादपरं व्यतिरिक्तं हि विद्यते चतुर्दशसु लोकेषु रपाज्यभ्रष्टस्तथा पत

Transliteration

yatā na tasmādaparaṃ vyatiriktaṃ hi vidyate caturdaśasu lokeṣu rapājyabhraṣṭastathā pata

Translation

{"scene_description": "A restrained pilgrim, thin from fasting, bathes at Sutīrtha and offers flowers and tulasī to Hṛṣīkeśa; then he walks toward the cedar-and-badari-lined hermitage of Badarikāśrama beneath snowy peaks.", "primary_figures": ["Pilgrim", "Viṣṇu as Hṛṣīkeśa"], "setting": "Mountain tīrtha pool and a Viṣṇu shrine; forested Himalayan path to Badarikāśrama", "color_palette": ["deep blue", "white", "pine green", "saffron", "stone grey"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore style, Hṛṣīkeśa (Viṣṇu) richly ornamented with gold-leaf, tulasī garland, devotee in simple cloth offering arghya after snāna, temple lamps, serene austerity", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature, soft pastel Himalayas, small shrine by Sutīrtha, pilgrim with water-pot and prayer beads, winding path to Badarikāśrama with badari trees, gentle contemplative mood", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural, bold outlines, Viṣṇu as Hṛṣīkeśa in temple niche, stylized mountains and river, pilgrim shown as jitendriya with minimal adornment, emphasis on vrata", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra panel, narrative: snāna at Sutīrtha → upavāsa/jitendriya posture → arcana to Hṛṣīkeśa → departure to Badarikāśrama, decorative borders with conch and lotus"}

Speakers

• Bali’s theological affirmation within the narrative frame (traditionally Pulastya → Nārada)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Vāmana/Trivikrama)

Key Themes

• Supremacy of Viṣṇu
• Cosmological totality (caturdaśa-loka)
• Non-dual refuge (no higher alternative)
• Devotion beyond loss

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What are the ‘fourteen worlds’ referenced here?

A standard Purāṇic cosmology: seven higher realms (e.g., Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, Svaḥ, Mahaḥ, Janaḥ, Tapaḥ, Satyaḥ) and seven lower (Atala through Pātāla). The verse uses them to denote the entire cosmos.

What does ‘vyatirikta’ imply theologically?

It denies an independent ultimate separate from Viṣṇu—i.e., no other entity stands as a higher or rival refuge across the cosmic hierarchy.

How does this verse complement 51.35?

51.35 states personal devotion (dearest to me); 51.36 universalizes it cosmologically (no superior exists anywhere), strengthening the rationale for unwavering bhakti despite worldly reversal.