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Shloka 58

Virocana–Bali, Aditi’s Tapas, and the Vāmana–Trivikrama Episode

आलोक्य तं पुरुषं विश्वकायं महान् बलिर्भक्तियोगेन विष्णुम् / ननाम नारायणमेकमव्ययं स्वचेतसा यं प्रणमन्ति देवाः

ālokya taṃ puruṣaṃ viśvakāyaṃ mahān balirbhaktiyogena viṣṇum / nanāma nārāyaṇamekamavyayaṃ svacetasā yaṃ praṇamanti devāḥ

เมื่อได้เห็นปุรุษะผู้มีจักรวาลเป็นกาย—พระวิษณุ—มหาบาลีจึงนอบน้อมด้วยภักติโยคะ ด้วยจิตภายในของตน เขาบูชาพระนารายณ์ผู้หนึ่งเดียวและไม่เสื่อมสลาย ผู้ซึ่งแม้เหล่าเทวะก็ยังกราบไหว้บูชา॥

ālokyahaving beheld
ālokya:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootā-√lok (धातु)
FormAbsolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्), from ā-√lok; prior action
tamhim
tam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; refers to Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa
puruṣamthe Person
puruṣam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootpuruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; in apposition to tam
viśva-kāyamwhose body is the universe
viśva-kāyam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootviśva (प्रातिपदिक) + kāya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; bahuvrīhi ‘whose body is the universe’ qualifying puruṣam
mahāngreat
mahān:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootmahant (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; qualifies baliḥ
baliḥBali
baliḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootbali (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
bhakti-yogenaby devotional discipline
bhakti-yogena:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootbhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; tatpuruṣa ‘by the yoga of devotion’
viṣṇumViṣṇu
viṣṇum:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootviṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; object of ālokya / understood object of reverence
nanāmabowed
nanāma:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√nam (धातu)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd Person, Singular
nārāyaṇamNārāyaṇa
nārāyaṇam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootnārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular
ekamone
ekam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rooteka (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifies nārāyaṇam
avyayamimperishable
avyayam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootavyaya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifies nārāyaṇam
sva-cetasāwith his own mind
sva-cetasā:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootsva (प्रातिपदिक) + cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; tatpuruṣa ‘with one’s own mind/heart’
yamwhom
yam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormRelative pronoun; Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; object of praṇamanti
praṇamantibow to
praṇamanti:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpra-√nam (धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), 3rd Person, Plural
devāḥthe gods
devāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdeva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

Suta (narrating to the sages) / Purana-narrator describing Bali’s act of surrender

Primary Rasa: bhakti (mapped to shanta)

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

B
Bali
V
Vishnu
N
Narayana
D
Devas

FAQs

It presents the Supreme as the one imperishable Person (Narayana) who is viśvakāya—cosmic-bodied—indicating the transcendent Lord who also pervades and contains the universe, worthy of reverence even by the devas.

Bhakti-yoga is explicit: devotion expressed as inner resolve (svacetasā) and embodied surrender (praṇāma). The verse frames devotion as a disciplined yogic approach to realizing and worshipping the imperishable Lord.

While Shiva is not named here, the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis is reflected in the yogic framing: the Supreme is approached through yoga and surrender, a shared Purāṇic method across Shaiva and Vaishnava streams, emphasizing one imperishable reality revered by all gods.