Vamana Purana — Portents at Bali's Sacrifice, Shloka 8

Portents at Bali’s Sacrifice and the Kośakāra’s Son: The Power of Past Karma

Devanagari script

शुक्र उवाच शृणुष्व दैत्येश्वर येन भागान् नामी प्रतीच्छन्ति हि आसुरीयान् हुताशना मन्त्रहुतानपीह नूनं समागच्छति वासुदेवः

Transliteration

śukra uvāca śṛṇuṣva daityeśvara yena bhāgān nāmī pratīcchanti hi āsurīyān hutāśanā mantrahutānapīha nūnaṃ samāgacchati vāsudevaḥ

Translation

ଶୁକ୍ର କହିଲେ—ହେ ଦୈତ୍ୟେଶ୍ୱର, ଶୁଣ; ଯେ କାରଣରୁ ଏଠାରେ ମନ୍ତ୍ରପୂର୍ବକ ହୁତ ହୋଇଥିଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଅଗ୍ନିଦେବ ଆସୁରୀୟ ଭାଗ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରୁନାହାନ୍ତି—ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ଭାବେ ବାସୁଦେବ ଏବେ ସମୀପକୁ ଆସୁଛନ୍ତି।

Speakers

• Śukra to Bali

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Vāsudeva/Vāmana)
• Agni (Hutāśana)

Key Themes

• Yajña and divine entitlement
• Signs/omens in ritual failure
• Asura–Deva conflict reframed as Viṣṇu’s strategy
• Guru’s protective warning

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is meant by ‘the Fire-gods do not accept the Asuric shares’?

In Purāṇic idiom, failure of sacrificial reception (e.g., inauspicious fire behavior, non-acceptance of offerings) is an omen that the ritual lacks divine sanction or is being countered by a higher will—here, Viṣṇu’s impending intervention.

Why does Śukra identify the cause as ‘Vāsudeva approaching’?

Śukra reads ritual anomalies as theological signals: when Viṣṇu intends to restore cosmic balance (dharma), even properly mantra-consecrated offerings can become ineffective for an adharmic or overreaching purpose.

Does ‘Vāsudeva’ here necessarily mean Kṛṣṇa?

No. In Purāṇic usage, ‘Vāsudeva’ is a title of Viṣṇu as the supreme Lord. In the Bali episode it points to Viṣṇu’s forthcoming manifestation as Vāmana (and then Trivikrama).