Vamana Purana — Bali's Sudarshana Worship, Shloka 48

Bali’s Worship of Sudarshana and Prahlada’s Teaching on Vishnu-Bhakti

Devanagari script

गच्छन् तिष्ठन् स्वपन् जाग्रत् पिबन्नश्चन्नभीक्ष्णशः ध्यायन् नारायणं यस्तु न ततो ऽन्यो ऽस्ति पुण्यभाक् वैकुण्ठं खड्गपरशुं भवबन्धसमुच्छिदम्

Transliteration

gacchan tiṣṭhan svapan jāgrat pibannaścannabhīkṣṇaśaḥ dhyāyan nārāyaṇaṃ yastu na tato 'nyo 'sti puṇyabhāk vaikuṇṭhaṃ khaḍgaparaśuṃ bhavabandhasamucchidam

Translation

Whether walking, standing, sleeping, waking, drinking, eating—again and again—whoever meditates upon Nārāyaṇa: there is none more entitled to merit than that person. (Such a one attains) Vaikuṇṭha, and (the Lord as) the sword and the axe—He who cuts asunder the bondage of worldly becoming (saṃsāra).

Speakers

• Not specified in the excerpt (didactic phalaśruti-style statement within Adhyaya 67).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Narayana

Key Themes

• Nārāyaṇa-smaraṇa (constant remembrance)
• Phalaśruti (promise of spiritual fruit)
• Mokṣa (liberation)
• Severing saṃsāra-bondage
• Bhakti integrated with daily activities

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the verse list ordinary actions like walking, eating, and sleeping?

It teaches that Nārāyaṇa-smaraṇa is not confined to ritual moments; remembrance can pervade all states of life (waking/sleeping) and all activities, making devotion continuous rather than occasional.

What is meant by ‘Vaikuṇṭha, sword and axe’ in the same line?

Vaikuṇṭha indicates the goal (liberated state/abode). ‘Sword’ and ‘axe’ function as theological symbols: the Lord’s power to cut ignorance and attachment, i.e., to sever bhava-bandha (saṃsāric bondage).

Is this primarily a tīrtha verse or a dharma teaching?

Although placed within a geography-oriented māhātmya chapter, this particular śloka is a dharma/phalaśruti teaching: it universalizes the chapter’s merit by grounding it in constant devotion rather than location-specific ritual alone.