Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Instructions to Bali, Shloka 59

Prahlada’s Instructions to Bali on Vishnu Worship, Monthly Gifts, and Building Hari’s Temple

Devanagari script

दीपप्रदानं स्वयमायताक्षी विन्ध्यावली विष्णुगृहे चकार गेयं स धर्म्यश्रवणं च धीमान् पौराणिकैर्विप्रवरैरकारयत्

Transliteration

dīpapradānaṃ svayamāyatākṣī vindhyāvalī viṣṇugṛhe cakāra geyaṃ sa dharmyaśravaṇaṃ ca dhīmān paurāṇikairvipravarairakārayat

Translation

பெரிய கண்களையுடைய விந்த்யாவலி தானே விஷ்ணுவின் ஆலயத்தில் தீபதானம் செய்தாள். அந்த அறிவுடையவள் புராணவித்தையில் தேர்ந்த உயர்ந்த பிராமணர்களால் தர்மியப் பாடலும் தர்மக் கதைகளின் கேள்வியும் நடைபெறச் செய்தாள்.

Speakers

• Narrator describing the devotional practices of Bali and Vindhyāvalī.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Vindhyāvalī
• Bali

Key Themes

• Dīpa-dāna (lamp offering)
• Female devotion and ritual agency (Vindhyāvalī)
• Śravaṇa (hearing sacred lore)
• Kīrtana/Geya (devotional singing)
• Brāhmaṇa-led Purāṇic recitation
• Temple-centered dharma

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the ritual and symbolic value of dīpa-pradāna in a Viṣṇu shrine?

Lamp-offering signifies the offering of light (knowledge, auspiciousness, and presence) to the deity. In Purāṇic devotion it is a high-merit act, marking both reverence and the dispelling of inner and outer darkness.

Why mention ‘dharmya-śravaṇa’ and Purāṇic brāhmaṇas?

The verse frames devotion as both ritual and pedagogy: hearing dharma through Purāṇic recitation is a sanctioned means of cultivating right understanding and conduct. Employing ‘vipra-varas’ underscores orthopraxy and authoritative transmission.

Does ‘Viṣṇu-gṛha’ mean a private house or a temple?

In Purāṇic usage, ‘gṛha’ can denote a sanctified abode of the deity—functionally a temple—especially when paired with acts like dīpa-dāna and organized recitation. Here it indicates a consecrated space where public-style worship and śravaṇa occur.