Vamana Purana — Bali's Sudarshana Worship, Shloka 40

Bali’s Worship of Sudarshana and Prahlada’s Teaching on Vishnu-Bhakti

Devanagari script

ये शङ्खचक्राब्जकरं सशार्ङ्गिणं खगेन्द्रकेतुं वरदं श्रियः पतिम् समाश्रयन्ते भवभीतिनाशनं संसारगर्ते न पतन्ति ते पुनः

Transliteration

ye śaṅkhacakrābjakaraṃ saśārṅgiṇaṃ khagendraketuṃ varadaṃ śriyaḥ patim samāśrayante bhavabhītināśanaṃ saṃsāragarte na patanti te punaḥ

Translation

“Those who take refuge in him—whose hands bear the conch, discus, and lotus; who wields the Śārṅga bow; whose banner bears the king of birds (Garuḍa); who grants boons; who is the Lord of Śrī (Lakṣmī); who destroys the fear of worldly becoming—those do not fall again into the pit of saṃsāra.”

Speakers

• Unspecified in the provided excerpt (didactic-stuti voice addressing an implied audience).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Lakshmi
• Garuda

Key Themes

• Śaraṇāgati (taking refuge)
• Soteriology (liberation from saṃsāra)
• Iconography of Viṣṇu (emblems and banner)
• Bhava-bhīti-nāśana (removal of existential fear)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the theological force of listing Viṣṇu’s emblems (conch, discus, lotus, bow, Garuḍa-banner)?

The emblems function as a compact theology: protection and dharma (cakra), auspiciousness and purity (padma), sovereign power (Śārṅga), and swift salvific reach (Garuḍa). The list identifies the refuge-object unambiguously as Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa.

What does ‘saṃsāra-garta’ (pit of saṃsāra) imply?

It portrays rebirth as a dangerous entrapment—hard to escape without support. The verse asserts that śaraṇāgati to Viṣṇu prevents ‘falling back’ into that condition, i.e., grants stable deliverance rather than temporary relief.

Is this teaching compatible with tīrtha-māhātmya sections of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

Yes. Tīrtha-māhātmyas often culminate in stuti and refuge-doctrine: pilgrimage and ritual are framed as supports, while ultimate efficacy is attributed to devotion and surrender to the presiding deity (here, Viṣṇu as Śrīpati).