Vamana Purana — Bali's Sudarshana Worship, Shloka 45

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

Devanagari script

या गतिर्धर्मशीलानां सात्त्विकानां महात्मनाम् सा गतिर्गदिता दैत्य भगवत्सेविनामपि

Transliteration

yā gatirdharmaśīlānāṃ sāttvikānāṃ mahātmanām sā gatirgaditā daitya bhagavatsevināmapi

Translation

“O Daitya, the very same destination that belongs to great-souled people who are devoted to dharma and established in sattva—that destination is declared to be attained also by those who serve the Blessed Lord.”

Speakers

• Unspecified speaker addressing a Daitya (likely within the Vāmana–Bali discourse)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Bhagavat)

Key Themes

• Bhakti as a path to liberation
• Equivalence of bhakti and dharmic virtue in yielding the highest gati
• Sattva and spiritual attainment
• Inclusivity of salvation (even for Daityas through devotion)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the ‘gati’ promised here—heaven (svarga) or liberation (mokṣa)?

The verse frames gati as the highest end shared by sāttvika mahātmas and bhagavat-sevins; in Purāṇic bhakti-teaching this typically points beyond temporary svarga toward the Lord’s own state/abode (parama-gati), clarified further by the next verse’s ‘entering Vāsudeva’.

Why address a ‘Daitya’ in a teaching on salvation?

Within the Vāmana–Bali narrative setting, the address underscores that devotion to the Lord is not restricted by birth or faction; even a Daitya can attain the supreme end through bhagavat-sevā.

How does this relate dharma and bhakti?

It equates their fruit at the highest level: dharma grounded in sattva and direct service/devotion to Bhagavān converge in the same ultimate attainment.