Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Instructions to Bali, Shloka 62

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

Devanagari script

द्वारि स्थिते धातरि रक्षपाले नारायणे सर्वगुणाभिरामे प्रासादमध्ये हरिमीशितारमभ्यर्चयामास सुरर्षिमुख्यम्

Transliteration

dvāri sthite dhātari rakṣapāle nārāyaṇe sarvaguṇābhirāme prāsādamadhye harimīśitāramabhyarcayāmāsa surarṣimukhyam

Translation

جب سراپا اوصافِ حسن سے آراستہ، دھاتا اور محافظ نارائن دروازے پر پہرے دار بن کر کھڑے تھے، تب محل کے اندر دیورشیوں کے سردار نے پرمیشور ہری کی پوجا کی۔

Speakers

• Narrator; describes a devarṣi (chief among divine sages) worshipping Hari while Nārāyaṇa guards the entrance

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Nārāyaṇa/Hari)

Key Themes

• Pūjā and divine presence (inner sanctum vs. outer gate)
• Vishnu as protector and sovereign
• Virtue (guṇa) as a mark of divinity
• Ritual worship within royal space

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is the ‘suraṛṣimukhya’ (foremost divine seer) here?

The verse does not name him; it functions as a type-description (a leading devarṣi). In Purāṇic idiom this can point to figures like Nārada, Bṛhaspati, or other eminent seers, but the safest scholarly handling is to keep it anonymous unless the surrounding text specifies.

Why is Nārāyaṇa described both as gate-guardian and as the Lord worshipped inside?

This juxtaposition emphasizes omnipresence and layered access: the same supreme reality protects the threshold (external order) and receives worship in the inner space (internal devotion). It also reinforces that protection (rakṣaṇa) and lordship (īśitva) are inseparable aspects of Hari.

Does ‘prāsāda’ imply a temple or a palace?

In classical Sanskrit, prāsāda can denote a palace, a lofty mansion, or a temple-like structure. Given the mention of Bali’s ‘gṛha’ and fortifications in the preceding verse, it most naturally reads as a royal palace with a sanctified inner chamber where worship is performed.