Vamana Purana — Kali's Complaint to Brahma (Part 2), Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

तां प्रादाद् देवराजाय मनेव तत्समेषु च पीताम्बरा या सुभगा रथस्था कनकप्रभा

Transliteration

tāṃ prādād devarājāya maneva tatsameṣu ca pītāmbarā yā subhagā rathasthā kanakaprabhā

Translation

He bestowed her upon the king of the gods (Indra), and likewise among those of his own rank. She—auspicious, clad in yellow garments, standing upon a chariot, radiant like gold—(was so described/manifest).

Speakers

• Narratorial voice within the Saroma/Sarasvatī-māhātmya section (speaker not explicit in the given excerpt).

Primary Deities

• Indra
• Sarasvatī (as river-goddess, implied by the passage sequence)

Key Themes

• Tīrtha-mahima and river-goddess theology
• Varṇa/adhikāra-based manifestations (differentiated forms)
• Divine bestowal and cosmic distribution

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Sarasvatī described with royal insignia like a chariot and golden radiance?

In Purāṇic māhātmyas, rivers are personified as goddesses whose ‘forms’ (rūpa) signal their function and the class of beings they bless. A chariot (ratha) and golden luster (kanakaprabhā) are markers of sovereignty and celestial splendor, aligning this manifestation with Indra and the deva-sphere.

Does ‘bestowed upon Indra’ mean the river physically belongs to Indra?

Not in a literal territorial sense. The idiom ‘prādāt’ here functions theologically: it indicates a dispensation of grace/association—Sarasvatī’s auspicious aspect is said to be allotted to Indra and those of comparable station (tatsama).

How does this verse fit a geography-oriented Purāṇa?

Vāmana Purāṇa often frames geography through sacral personification: a river is not only a physical feature but also a deity with multiple ‘access points’ (forms, tīrthas, and ritual eligibilities). This verse contributes to that mapping by linking a specific divine form to a specific cosmic constituency (devas).