Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 76

The Merit of Śravaṇa-Dvādaśī and the Liberation of a Preta through Gayā Piṇḍa-Rites

Devanagari script

दास्ते गृहं हिरण्यं च वाजिनः स्यन्दनान् गजान् प्रयच्छाम्यद्य भवतो व्रियतामीप्सितं विभो

Transliteration

dāste gṛhaṃ hiraṇyaṃ ca vājinaḥ syandanān gajān prayacchāmyadya bhavato vriyatāmīpsitaṃ vibho

Translation

{"has_teaching": true, "teaching_type": "dharma", "core_concept": "Worldly conquest is unstable; pride (darpa) precedes reversal under divine law.", "teaching_summary": "Bali boasts that his forces drove the devas—including Indra and Rudra—out of heaven; the verse implicitly critiques victory rooted in darpa, setting up the dharmic correction through Vāmana.", "vedantic_theme": "Impermanence of power (anityatā) and the moral governance of īśvara over lokas.", "practical_application": "Treat success as stewardship, not entitlement; restrain arrogance and honor dharma to avoid inevitable downfall."}

Speakers

• Bali addressing the Brahmin petitioner(s) (dvijas)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Vamana—contextual)
• Bali

Key Themes

• Dana (charity)
• Royal resources as sacrificial merit
• Hospitality and patronage
• Material abundance offered for religious ends

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the significance of listing horses, chariots, and elephants?

These are classic emblems of royal power and wealth (rājya-śrī). By offering them freely, Bali demonstrates that his dāna is not marginal but touches the very instruments of sovereignty.

How should “vibho” be understood here?

In this context it functions as a respectful vocative—“venerable/mighty sir”—addressed to the Brahmin recipient. In avatāra narratives, such honorifics can also carry dramatic irony when the ‘Brahmin’ is Vishnu in disguise, though that identification is not explicit in this verse.

Does this verse contribute to the Vāmana Purāṇa’s sacred geography?

No. It is a gift-enumeration verse within the Bali narrative and contains no explicit toponyms (rivers, tirthas, forests, or regions).