Shloka 54

Vamana's Three Steps — Vamana’s Three Steps and the Binding of Bali

Devanagari script

श्रीभगवानुवाच आपूरणाद् दक्षिणाया गच्छ राजन् महाफलम् सुतलं नाम पातालं वस तत्र निरामयः

Transliteration

śrībhagavānuvāca āpūraṇād dakṣiṇāyā gaccha rājan mahāphalam sutalaṃ nāma pātālaṃ vasa tatra nirāmayaḥ

Translation

พระผู้มีพระภาคตรัสว่า “โอ้ พระราชา! จากอาปูรณะจงไปทางทิศใต้ ที่นั่นมีผลอันยิ่งใหญ่ จงพำนักในปาตาลชื่อสุทละ ที่นั่นเจ้าจักปราศจากโรคและความทุกข์”

Speakers

• Śrī Bhagavān (Trivikrama/Vishnu) speaking to Bali

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Trivikrama)
• Bali

Key Themes

• Divine relocation of a king
• Cosmological geography (Pātāla-lokas)
• Boons and protection
• Merit (mahāphala)
• Bali as protected devotee

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is Sutala in Purāṇic cosmology, and why is it significant here?

Sutala is one of the nether realms (often counted among the Pātāla-lokas). In the Bali narrative, it becomes a divinely sanctioned kingdom: Bali is not annihilated but relocated to a protected domain, underscoring Viṣṇu’s role as both ruler and benefactor.

How should ‘mahāphalam’ be understood—moral merit or material prosperity?

Both senses operate together. ‘Mahāphalam’ can denote great spiritual consequence (a boon-bearing, auspicious allotment) and also tangible prosperity and security. The next phrase ‘nirāmayaḥ’ clarifies the boon’s protective, welfare-oriented character.

Is Āpūraṇa a tīrtha, a city, or a cosmological marker?

In this verse it functions as a toponym used for orientation (‘from Āpūraṇa, go south’). Without additional contextual verses, it is safest to tag it as a place-name within the narrative’s geographic frame rather than assert a specific river/tīrtha identity.