Vamana Purana — Kali's Complaint to Brahma (Part 2), Shloka 52

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

Devanagari script

त्रिविष्टपं शासति दानवेन्द्रे नासीन् क्षुधार्तो मलिनो न दीनः सदोज्ज्वलो धर्मरतो ऽथ दान्तः कामोपभोक्ता मनुजो ऽपि जातः

Transliteration

triviṣṭapaṃ śāsati dānavendre nāsīn kṣudhārto malino na dīnaḥ sadojjvalo dharmarato 'tha dāntaḥ kāmopabhoktā manujo 'pi jātaḥ

Translation

तस्मिन् दानवसैन्यपाले हते त्रिदशैः संपीड्यमानाः दैत्याः विमुक्तशस्त्राः केशालङ्कारचर्मफलकवस्त्राणि परित्यज्य बाणहतप्रायाः असुरेन्द्राः संप्राद्रवन्।

Speakers

• Narrator voice within the Pulastya–Nārada dialogue context (Pulastya describing the effects of Bali’s rule)

Primary Deities

• Indra (contextual)
• Vishnu (contextual)

Key Themes

• Ideal kingship and welfare
• Prosperity under righteous rule
• Dharma–Kāma balance
• Cosmic governance and legitimacy

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does ‘triviṣṭapa’ denote here?

It denotes Svarga, the celestial realm associated with the Tridaśas (the ‘Thirty-three’ gods). The verse states that Bali held sovereignty there, implying Indra’s displacement in the narrative arc.

How should ‘malina’ be read—physical impurity or moral decline?

Both senses are possible, but in a welfare-list (hunger, misery, impurity) it primarily signals absence of defilement and degradation in society; secondarily it can imply that Bali’s rule maintained order and restraint rather than chaos.

Why mention that ‘even a human’ became an enjoyer of pleasures?

It underscores social normalization: under stable, dharmic governance, people can pursue kāma without falling into disorder. Purāṇic political theology often presents dharma as the condition that makes legitimate enjoyment possible.