History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.817

v6.c81.817

Bali was the son of Virocana and grandson of Prahlāda, a great devotee of Viṣṇu. In the Vanaparva (28 2) Bali asks his grandfather Prahlāda the question 'which is better, *kṣamā* (forbearance) or *tejas* (vigorous action) In the Śāntiparva 225 13 it is said that Bali felt jealous of brāhmaṇas The story of Bali who had become very powerful and made gods lose their *tejas* is narrated in Brahmapurāṇa 73, Kūrma I. 17, Vāmana chap 77 and 92, Matsya chap 245-246 and Bhaviṣyottara 140 Bali began an Aśvamedha Viṣṇu assumed the form of a dwarf brāhmaṇa student and begged for land that would be measured by his-three steps Though warned by Śukra that the dwarf was really Viṣṇu, Bali promised to give land equal to three steps Then the dwarf grew larger and larger and covered heaven and earth in two steps When Vāmana asked Bali where to plant the third step Bali told him to plant it on his back and thus Bali was thrust into the nether regions. Viṣṇu being⁵²⁰ pleased with Bali's adherence to his plighted word conferred on Bali the overlordship of *pātāla* and the position of the future Indra. This story is an ancient one. The Mahābhāṣya ⁵²¹ on Pāṇini III 1. 26 states that when a person recites the story of Bali's imprisonment (in *pātāla* by Viṣṇu) or represents it on the stage people use such phraseology as 'Balim bandhayati' (he imprisons Bali), though Bali was imprisoned a long time ago. This makes it certain that the story was embodied in dramas and poems more than two thousand years ago.