Vamana Purana — Vishnu Slays Kalanemi, Shloka 49

Vishnu Enters the Deva–Asura War and Slays Kalanemi

Devanagari script

तथा विबाहुर्विशिरा मुण्डतालो यथा वने तस्थौ मेरुरिवाकम्प्यः कबन्धः क्ष्माधरेश्वरः

Transliteration

tathā vibāhurviśirā muṇḍatālo yathā vane tasthau merurivākampyaḥ kabandhaḥ kṣmādhareśvaraḥ

Translation

[{"question": "Why does the Purāṇa praise Bali—an Asura king—with such orthodox virtues?", "answer": "The Vāmana-Bali narrative often frames Bali as dhārmic in personal conduct (truth, charity, protection of subjects). This heightens the moral tension of the episode: Viṣṇu’s intervention is not against ‘virtue’ itself but against cosmic imbalance and the overreach of Daitya sovereignty."}, {"question": "What is the significance of calling Bali ‘yajvā’ and ‘tapasvī’ together?", "answer": "It presents a complete royal-religious profile: yajña indicates public, Vedic-facing kingship and patronage; tapas indicates inner discipline and ascetic power. The pairing signals that Bali’s authority is supported by both ritual merit and austerity."}, {"question": "Does ‘svajanābhigoptā’ imply a political ideal?", "answer": "Yes. It encodes the rājadharma expectation that a ruler is a guardian of his people (subjects, kin, dependents). In Purāṇic ethics, protection (goptṛtva) is as central as conquest."}]

Speakers

• Narrator describing the aftermath of decapitation; no direct speech.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (implied)

Key Themes

• Battle aftermath imagery
• Cosmological simile (Meru as unshakable)
• Purāṇic poetics (arboreal and cosmic comparisons)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the function of the ‘lopped tāla palm’ image?

It provides a concrete battlefield visual: a tall trunk standing after being cut, mirroring a headless body still upright. The tāla palm is a familiar marker of height and straightness, making the scene vivid and immediate.

Why compare the headless trunk to Mount Meru?

Meru symbolizes absolute stability in Purāṇic cosmology. The comparison heightens the demon’s massive, immovable presence even in death-throes, thereby magnifying the scale of Viṣṇu’s feat in overcoming such a formidable opponent.

Is ‘Meru’ here a geographic reference for pilgrimage mapping?

Meru is primarily cosmological (axis-mundi) rather than a mapped terrestrial tīrtha in this context. The verse uses it as a poetic standard of immovability, not as a travel or sacred-site locator.