Vamana Purana — Kali's Complaint to Brahma (Part 1), Shloka 48

Kali’s Complaint to Brahma and the Arrival of Śrī (Jayaśrī) in Bali’s Court

Devanagari script

यदा वर्णाः स्वधर्मस्था भवन्ति दितिजेश्वर धर्मवृद्धिस्तदा स्याद्वै धर्मवृद्धौ नृपोदयः

Transliteration

yadā varṇāḥ svadharmasthā bhavanti ditijeśvara dharmavṛddhistadā syādvai dharmavṛddhau nṛpodayaḥ

Translation

“When the social orders abide in their own duties, O lord of the sons of Diti, then there indeed arises an increase of dharma; and when dharma increases, the rise (prosperity and ascendancy) of the king follows.”

Speakers

• (Didactic voice) Instructor addressing Bali as “ditijeśvara.”

Primary Deities

• Viṣṇu (Vāmana/Trivikrama) — contextual
• Bali — addressed as Daitya lord

Key Themes

• Dharma as foundation of political prosperity
• Interdependence of social order and kingship
• Svadharma and stability
• Rājadharma

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the causal chain asserted in this verse?

Varṇas performing svadharma → dharma-vṛddhi (growth of righteous order) → nṛpa-udaya (the king’s flourishing). The text presents political success as a consequence of moral/social order rather than mere force.

Why address Bali as “ditijeśvara”?

It situates the teaching within the Daitya lineage (sons of Diti) and frames Bali as a legitimate sovereign who must uphold dharma, reinforcing that dharma is not restricted to one community but is a universal principle of rule.

How does this fit the Vāmana Purāṇa’s broader concerns?

Even where the Purāṇa is strongly geographical elsewhere, it repeatedly links sacred order (dharma) with worldly stability. Here the emphasis is administrative: the king’s prosperity depends on sustaining dharma through social discipline.