Vamana Purana — Kali's Complaint to Brahma (Part 1), Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

विविधानपि भोगांश्च भुञ्जन् दैत्येश्वरो बलि सस्मार मनसा ब्रह्मन् प्रह्लादं स्वपितामहम्

Transliteration

vividhānapi bhogāṃśca bhuñjan daityeśvaro bali sasmāra manasā brahman prahlādaṃ svapitāmaham

Translation

विविधान् भोगान् भुञ्जानो दैत्येश्वरो बलिः, हे ब्रह्मन्, मनसा स्वपितामहं प्रह्लादं सस्मार।

Speakers

• Narrator to a Brāhmaṇa interlocutor (explicit vocative ‘brahman’).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (implicit through Prahlāda’s devotion and the Bali cycle)

Key Themes

• Smṛti (remembrance)
• Ancestral lineage and moral inheritance
• Bhakti exemplar (Prahlāda)
• Tension between bhoga (enjoyment) and dharma

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does Bali remember Prahlāda specifically while enjoying pleasures?

Prahlāda functions as Bali’s dharmic and devotional archetype within the Asura lineage. The remembrance signals an inner reorientation: even amid svarga-bhoga, Bali’s mind turns to the paradigmatic Vishnu-bhakta whose life embodies restraint, truth, and devotion.

What is the significance of addressing ‘brahman’ here?

The vocative frames the narration as a didactic report to a learned listener, emphasizing that Bali’s inner act (mental remembrance) is itself meaningful and worthy of being taught—an ethical pivot rather than mere plot detail.

Does this imply Bali is virtuous despite being an Asura king?

Yes in a nuanced Purāṇic sense. Bali is often portrayed as possessing generosity, truthfulness, and reverence for dharma, even when opposed to the Devas politically. Remembering Prahlāda underscores that virtue and devotion can appear within Asura lineages.