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

[{"question": "What is the relationship between fasting (upavāsa) and ‘jitendriya’ in tīrtha practice?", "answer": "The verse pairs external observance (fasting) with internal discipline (sense-control), indicating that tīrtha merit is not only water-ritual (snāna) but also ethical-ascetic refinement that qualifies the pilgrim for effective worship."}, {"question": "Why is Hṛṣīkeśa invoked specifically before going to Badarikāśrama?", "answer": "Badarikāśrama is strongly tied to Viṣṇu-centered ascetic and āśrama traditions (notably Nara-Nārāyaṇa). Invoking Hṛṣīkeśa—‘Lord of the senses’—harmonizes with the chapter’s emphasis on restraint and prepares the pilgrim for the āśrama’s ascetic sanctity."}, {"question": "Is ‘Sutīrtha’ a generic ‘good tīrtha’ or a named site?", "answer": "Although the compound literally means ‘excellent tīrtha,’ the syntax (‘at Sutīrtha, having bathed’) treats it as a specific toponym within an itinerary, parallel to other named destinations (Vimala, Kedāra, Kubjāmra, Badarikāśrama)."}]

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.