Shloka 53

Vamana's Three Steps — Vamana’s Three Steps and the Binding of Bali

Devanagari script

इत्थं प्रोक्त्वा बलिसुतं बाणं देवस्त्रिविक्रमः प्रोवाच बलिमभ्येत्य वचनं मधुराक्षरम्

Transliteration

itthaṃ proktvā balisutaṃ bāṇaṃ devastrivikramaḥ provāca balimabhyetya vacanaṃ madhurākṣaram

Translation

ଏପରି ବଲିପୁତ୍ର ବାଣଙ୍କୁ କହି ଦେବ ତ୍ରିବିକ୍ରମ ପରେ ବଲିଙ୍କ ନିକଟକୁ ଯାଇ ମଧୁରାକ୍ଷର ଭରା ସୌମ୍ୟ ବଚନ କହିଲେ।

Speakers

• Narrator voice (Purāṇic narrator) describing Trivikrama’s action; transition to Bhagavān’s direct speech to Bali in the next verse

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Trivikrama)

Key Themes

• Grace after subjugation
• Kingship and divine instruction
• Vaishnava theophany (Trivikrama)
• Transition from conflict to boon

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Trivikrama’s speech described as ‘madhurākṣara’ (sweet-syllabled) after a narrative of conquest?

Purāṇic style often juxtaposes divine sovereignty with compassion: even when Viṣṇu restrains Asuric power, he grants protection and boons to devotees like Bali. ‘Madhurākṣara’ signals a shift from punitive action to benevolent instruction.

What is the narrative function of mentioning Bāṇa before addressing Bali?

It frames a familial and dynastic context: Bāṇa represents Bali’s lineage and future. By first addressing the son and then the father, the text emphasizes orderly restoration—lineage is acknowledged, then the king receives the decisive divine directive.

Does this verse contain any explicit tīrtha or geographic marker?

No explicit river, forest, or tīrtha is named here; it serves as a connective verse leading into the geographic-cosmological placement of Bali in Sutala (named in the following verse).