Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Instructions to Bali, Shloka 60

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

Devanagari script

तथाविधस्यासुरपुङ्गवस्य धर्म्ये सुमार्गे प्रतिसंस्थितस्य जगत्पतिर्दिव्यवपुर्जनार्दनस्तस्थौ महात्मा बलिरक्षणाय

Transliteration

tathāvidhasyāsurapuṅgavasya dharmye sumārge pratisaṃsthitasya jagatpatirdivyavapurjanārdanastasthau mahātmā balirakṣaṇāya

Translation

เมื่อพญาพลิผู้เป็นยอดแห่งอสูรตั้งมั่นอย่างแน่วแน่ในหนทางธรรมอันประเสริฐแล้ว พระชนา รทนะ ผู้เป็นเจ้าแห่งโลก ผู้มีวรกายทิพย์ ได้ประทับยืนเพื่อคุ้มครองมหาตมะพลิ

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic voice) describing Bali; implicit theological assertion about Vishnu’s guardianship

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Janārdana/Nārāyaṇa)

Key Themes

• Dharma as the basis of divine protection
• Grace toward a righteous ‘Asura’ king
• Kingship ethics (rājadharma)
• Shaiva–Vaishnava neutrality/Universality of dharma (implicit)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Bali—an Asura—called ‘dharmye sumārge pratisaṃsthita’ (firmly on the righteous path)?

Purāṇic narrative often distinguishes birth/lineage from conduct. Bali is portrayed as a paradigmatic donor-king and disciplined ruler; his adherence to dharma makes him worthy of divine regard, even if he belongs to the Daitya/Asura lineage.

What does it mean that Janārdana ‘stood for Bali’s protection’?

It signals a theological principle: dharma attracts divine guardianship. In the Bali cycle, Vishnu’s presence is not merely punitive (as in slaying demons) but also protective—guiding the righteous king through a destiny that includes both testing and ultimate uplift.

Does this verse imply Vishnu approves of Bali’s sovereignty?

It implies approval of Bali’s dharmic conduct rather than unconditional endorsement of political dominance. The narrative typically balances Bali’s merit (dāna, truthfulness) with cosmic order (deva–asura equilibrium), which later necessitates Vishnu’s intervention in a specific form.