Bhagavatapurana 8.20: atha viṃśo'dhyāyaḥ

8.20.1

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
balirevaṃ gṛhapatiḥ kulācāryeṇa bhāṣitaḥ /
tūṣṇīṃ bhūtvā kṣaṇaṃ rājannuvācāvahito gurum //

1. Sri Suka said:— Bali, master of the house, thus counselled by the family-preceptor, was silent for a minute and making up his mind spoke to his guru (thus).

8.20.2

/0 śrībaliruvāca
satyaṃ bhagavatā proktaṃ dharmo 'yaṃ gṛhamedhinām /
arthaṃ kāmaṃ yaśo vṛttiṃ yo na bādheta karhicit //

2. Bali said:— What thy worship says is true; this is the duty of house-holders, which does not in any manner interfere with their wealth, enjoyment, reputation and living.

8.20.3

sa cāhaṃ vittalobhena pratyācakṣe kathaṃ dvijam /
pratiśrutya dadāmīti prāhrādiḥ kitavo yathā //

3. Still, such as I am, how could I, being a son of Prahlada, in (mere) greed of wealth, deny (now) like a gambler the Brahmin

his quest, having promised that I would give?

8.20.4

na hy asatyāt paro 'dharma iti hovāca bhūriyam /
sarvaṃ soḍhumalaṃ manye ṛte 'līkaparaṃ naram //

4. This earth indeed once said, 'There is no unrighteous act worse than being untruthful; I think I am able to bear any burden except the man given to uttering falsehood.”

8.20.5

nāhaṃ bibhemi nirayān nādhanyādasukhārṇavāt /
na sthānacyavanān mṛtyoryathā viprapralambhanāt //

5. I am not afraid of hell or even poverty, the sea of misery (or even Death), not of the loss of my position, to such a degree as I am afraid of deceiving a Brahmin.

8.20.6

yadyaddhāsyati loke 'smin samparetaṃ dhanādikam /
tasya tyāge nimittaṃ kiṃ viprastuṣyen na tena cet //

6. Everything, wealth or anything else, will (certainly) abandon the dying man. What is the purpose in giving that away in charity unless it be that a Brahmin is satisfied by that (act of giving)?

8.20.7

śreyaḥ kurvanti bhūtānāṃ sādhavo dustyajāsubhiḥ /
dadhyaṅśibiprabhṛtayaḥ ko vikalpo dharādiṣu //

7. The righteous do like Dadhichee and Sibi good to other beings even at the expense of their life they would not easily give up; and then what concern should there be about land and other things (external to self)?

8.20.8

yairiyaṃ bubhuje brahman daityendrairanivartibhiḥ /
teṣāṃ kālo 'grasīl lokān na yaśo 'dhigataṃ bhuvi //

8. Time swallowed up the enjoyments here as well as the places in the other world of those great sons of Diti who never showed their back (to the enemy) on the battle-field; and who while here enjoyed the whole world; but no (lasting) fame was attained by them on earth.

8.20.9

sulabhā yudhi viprarṣe hy anivṛttāstanutyajaḥ /
na tathā tīrtha āyāte śraddhayā ye dhanatyajaḥ //

9. Very commonly are met those who fight on the battle-field without turning their back and give up their life; but not so commonly those that would with faith spend their money when a worthy and holy man comes in.

8.20.10

manasvinaḥ kāruṇikasya śobhanaṃ yadarthikāmopanayena durgatiḥ /
kutaḥ punarbrahmavidāṃ bhavādṛśāṃ tato vaṭorasya dadāmi vāñchitam //

10. That a man, thoughtful and full of mercy, should come to difficulty by gratifying the desires of those that resort to him with a request, is really laudable; what need be said that the act would be much more so in the case of those like you who have realised Brahman? Therefore I give this Brahmacharin what he wants.

8.20.11

yajanti yajñaṃ kratubhiryamādṛtā bhavanta āmnāyavidhānakovidāḥ /
sa eva viṣṇurvarado 'stu vā paro dāsyāmy amuṣmai kṣitimīpsitāṃ mune //

11. Let Him be the same Vishnu (as) you, versed in the Vedas and full of faith and earnestness, worship by means of various sacrifices; let Him be bestower of blessings or an enemy; still I would give Him the desired piece of land, O Sage.

8.20.12

yadyapy asāvadharmeṇa māṃ badhnīyādanāgasam /
tathāpy enaṃ na hiṃsiṣye bhītaṃ brahmatanuṃ ripum //

12. Even if He should bind me, faultless as I am, I would not do harm to the cowardly enemy in the form of a Brahmin.

8.20.13

eṣa vā uttamaśloko na jihāsati yadyaśaḥ /
hatvā maināṃ haredyuddhe śayīta nihato mayā //

13. If this Vishnu of highest glory would not forfeit His name, He might vanquish me in battle and take this land or lie down struck by me.

8.20.14

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
evamaśraddhitaṃ śiṣyamanādeśakaraṃ guruḥ /
śaśāpa daivaprahitaḥ satyasandhaṃ manasvinam //

14. Sri Suka said:— Prompted by the Deity the preceptor, Sukracharya pronounced a curse upon his disciple who placed no faith in his word and would not do what he bid; but, who, actuated by noble thoughts, would only keep his promise.

8.20.15

dṛḍhaṃ paṇḍitamāny ajñaḥ stabdho 'sy asmadupekṣayā /
macchāsanātigo yastvamacirādbhraśyase śriyaḥ //

15. Thou art conceited as being very wise; yet thou art ignorant, obstinate, disregarding us and violating our command; (so) thou wilt soon fall from thy royal splendour.

8.20.16

evaṃ śaptaḥ svaguruṇā satyān na calito mahān /
vāmanāya dadāvenāmarcitvodakapūrvakam //

16. (Though) thus cursed by his preceptor he did not swerve from his true promise and duly worshipped Vamana, poured water in assurance of his gift and gave the piece of land to Him.

8.20.17

vindhyāvalistadāgatya patnī jālakamālinī /
āninye kalaśaṃ haimamavanejanyapāṃ bhṛtam //

17. Then his queen Vindhyavali richly adorned in ornaments of gold brought in a jar of cold water to wash the Brahmin's feet with.

8.20.18

yajamānaḥ svayaṃ tasya śrīmat pādayugaṃ mudā /
avanijyāvahan mūrdhni tadapo viśvapāvanīḥ //

18. Gladly did the sacrificer himself wash the glorious feet of Vamana; he bore a few drops on his head of the waters which do purify the whole world.

8.20.19

tadāsurendraṃ divi devatāgaṇā gandharvavidyādharasiddhacāraṇāḥ /
tat karma sarve 'pi gṛṇanta ārjavaṃ prasūnavarṣairvavṛṣurmudānvitāḥ //

19. Then the throngs of the gods in heaven, *Gandharvas*, *Vidyadharas*, *Sidhas*, *Charanas*, and all sang the praises of the great *Asura*, of his action and of his straight-forwardness and in great delight let fall showers of flowers.

8.20.20

nedurmuhurdundubhayaḥ sahasraśo gandharvakimpūruṣakinnarā jaguḥ /
manasvinānena kṛtaṃ suduṣkaraṃ vidvān adādyadripave jagattrayam //

20. Thousands of drums were, without a pause sounded; *Gandharvas*, *Kinnaras*, *Kimpurushas* sang, By this noble-minded Bali has been done a thing which is not easy to do, (for) he knew he had bestowed the three worlds on his enemy.

8.20.21

tadvāmanaṃ rūpamavardhatādbhutaṃ hareranantasya guṇatrayātmakam /
bhūḥ khaṃ diśo dyaurvivarāḥ payodhayas tiryaṅnṛdevā ṛṣayo yadāsata //

21. That dwarf form of *Hari* wonderfully expanded itself encompassing all that are composed of the three *Gunas*, *viz*, the earth, the heavens, cardinal points, Swarga, caves, seas, birds, and beasts, human beings, gods, sages and whatever there was.

8.20.22

kāye balistasya mahāvibhūteḥ sahartvigācāryasadasya etat /
dadarśa viśvaṃ triguṇaṃ guṇātmake bhūtendriyārthāśayajīvayuktam //

22. On that body of *Gunas* of that wonderful form of *Hari*,

Bali espied his priests, preceptor, judges, also this whole universe: and all the three Gunas together with the Bhutas; the senses with their objects and the mind and the Jivas.

8.20.23

rasāmacaṣṭāṅghritale 'tha pādayor mahīṃ mahīdhrān puruṣasya jaṅghayoḥ /
patattriṇo jānuni viśvamūrter ūrvorgaṇaṃ mārutamindrasenaḥ //

23. Bali who had an army like that of Indra (Bali who occupied the place of Indra) saw the Rasatala resting on the sole of the feet, the earth on the feet, mountains on the shanks, birds on the knee-joints, the group of Maruts on the thighs, of the all-encompassing form of the perfect Being.

8.20.24

sandhyāṃ vibhorvāsasi guhya aikṣat prajāpatīn jaghane ātmamukhyān /
nābhyāṃ nabhaḥ kukṣiṣu saptasindhūn urukramasyorasi carkṣamālām //

24. He saw Sandhya (twilight) on the garment, Prajapatis on the secret parts and the Asuras headed by himself on the lower limb, the sky in the navel, the seven seas in the bowels and the hordes of stars on the chest, of the Lord of unlimited Prowess.

8.20.25

hṛdy aṅga dharmaṃ stanayormurārer ṛtaṃ ca satyaṃ ca manasy athendum /
śriyaṃ ca vakṣasy aravindahastāṃ kaṇṭhe ca sāmāni samastarephān //

25. O son, he saw Dharma on the heart, Rita and Satya (true knowledge and truthfulness) on the breasts, the Moon in the mind, and Lakshmi with lotus in her hand on the bosom, all the samans and articulate sounds about the neck of Murari.

8.20.26

indrapradhānān amarān bhujeṣu tatkarṇayoḥ kakubho dyauśca mūrdhni /
keśeṣu meghān chvasanaṃ nāsikāyām akṣṇośca sūryaṃ vadane ca vahnim //

26. He saw Indra and the other gods on the arms, the cardinal points in the ears, the celestial region on the head (crown), clouds in the locks of hair, wind in the nostril, the Sun in the eyes, and Agni (fire) in the mouth of the Supreme Being.

8.20.27

vāṇyāṃ ca chandāṃsi rase jaleśaṃ bhruvorniṣedhaṃ ca vidhiṃ ca pakṣmasu /
ahaśca rātriṃ ca parasya puṃso manyuṃ lalāṭe 'dhara eva lobham //

27. He saw the Vedas in the speech, Varuna in the tongue, injunction and prohibition, the day and the night, in the winking (rise and fall of the eyelids), anger on the forehead and greed in the lower lip, of the Supreme Person.

8.20.28

sparśe ca kāmaṃ nṛpa retasāmbhaḥ pṛṣṭhe tvadharmaṃ kramaṇeṣu yajñam /
chāyāsu mṛtyuṃ hasite ca māyāṃ tanūruheṣvoṣadhijātayaśca //

28. He saw Love in the sense of touch, water in the seed, unrighteousness on the back, sacrificial activity in the steps, Death (Yama) in the shadow, Maya in the laughter, the various species of plants and herbs in the hair on the body, of the Supreme Person.

8.20.29

nadīśca nāḍīṣu śilā nakheṣu buddhāvajaṃ devagaṇān ṛṣīṃśca /
prāṇeṣu gātre sthirajaṅgamāni sarvāṇi bhūtāni dadarśa vīraḥ //

29. He the warrior Bali saw rivers in the arteries, rocks in the nails, Brahma in Buddhi (reasoning power), the hosts of gods and Rishis in the breath, all the mobile and the immobile creatures on the body, of the supreme Person.

8.20.30

sarvātmanīdaṃ bhuvanaṃ nirīkṣya sarve 'surāḥ kaśmalamāpuraṅga /
sudarśanaṃ cakramasahyatejo dhanuśca śārṅgaṃ stanayitnughoṣam //

30. On seeing this Universe resting on the Perfect Person all the Asuras lost their heart, O son, (especially) on seeing His Chakra called Sudarsana of irresistible force and splendour, the Saranga-bow

resounding like thundering clouds.

8.20.31

parjanyaghoṣo jalajaḥ pāñcajanyaḥ kaumodakī viṣṇugadā tarasvinī /
vidyādharo 'siḥ śatacandrayuktas tūṇottamāvakṣayasāyakau ca //

31. Then waited on Him, the conch Panchajanya of deep noise like that of clouds, Vishnu's Gada Kaumodaki of immense strength, the sword called Vidyadhara or Nandaka adorned with studs refulgent like a hundred moons, the two excellent quivers with inexhaustible stock of arrows.

8.20.32

sunandamukhyā upatasthurīśaṃ pārṣadamukhyāḥ sahalokapālāḥ /
sphuratkirīṭāṅgadamīnakuṇḍalaḥ śrīvatsaratnottamamekhalāmbaraiḥ //

32. His great attendants headed by Sunanda, as well as the protectors of the world waited on the Lord (adorned) with brilliant crowns, Angadas, earrings, Srivatsa mark, the peerless jewel of Kaustubha, zones and Pitambaras.

8.20.33

madhuvratasragvanamālayāvṛto rarāja rājan bhagavān urukramaḥ /
kṣitiṃ padaikena balervicakrame nabhaḥ śarīreṇa diśaśca bāhubhiḥ //

33. Adorned with Vanamala hovered about by bees, the glorious Lord of mighty feet shone supreme and covered the whole earth of Bali with one foot, the Sky with the main body and the cardinal points with His arms.

8.20.34

padaṃ dvitīyaṃ kramatastriviṣṭapaṃ na vai tṛtīyāya tadīyamaṇvapi /
urukramasyāṅghrirupary upary atho maharjanābhyāṃ tapasaḥ paraṃ gataḥ //

34. As the second foot measured Svarga there was nothing left for the third; the foot of the Lord of glorious Power above and below passed beyond Maharloka, Janoloka and also the Tapoloka (and reached Satyaloka).