VAMANAVATARA-5 (SRIMADBHAGAVATAM, CANTO-8, CHAPTER 20)

                
         वामनावतारः-५
 (श्रीमद्भागवतम्  अष्टमस्कंधः, अध्यायः २०)
श्रीशुक उवाच-
बलिरेवं गृहपतिः कुलाचार्येण भाषितः।
तूष्णीं भूत्वा क्षणं राजन्नुवाचावहितो गुरुम् ॥१॥ 
Sri Sukadeva Goswami
said: O King Parikshit, when Bali Maharaja was thus advised by his spiritual
master, Sukracharya, his family priest, he remained silent for some time, and
then, after full deliberation, he replied to his spiritual master as follows.
बलिरुवाच-
सत्यं भगवता प्रोक्तं धर्मोऽयं गृहमेधिनाम्।
अर्थं कामं यशो वृत्तिं यो न बाधेत कर्हिचित् ॥२॥
Bali Maharaja said: As
you have already stated, the principle of religion (dharma) that does
not hinder one’s economic development, sense gratification, fame and means of
livelihood is the real occupational duty of the 
householder.  I also think that
his religious principle  is correct.
स चाहं वित्तलोभेन प्रत्याचक्षे कथं द्विजम्।
प्रतिश्रुत्य ददामीति प्राह्लादिः कितवो यथा ॥३॥
I am the grandson of
Maharaja Prahlada.  How can I withdraw my
promise because of greed for money when I have already said that I shall give
this land? How can I behave like an ordinary cheater, especially toward a
brahmana
न ह्यसत्यात् परोऽधर्म इति होवाच भूरियम्।
सर्वं सोढुमलं मन्ये ऋतेऽलीकपरं नरम् ॥४॥
There is nothing more
sinful than untruthfulness.  Because of
this, mother earth once said, “I can bear any heavy thing except a person who
is a liar.”
नाहं बिभेमि निरयान्नाधन्यादसुखार्णवात्।
न स्थानच्यवनान्मृत्योर्यथा विप्रप्रलम्भनात् ॥५॥
I do not fear hell, poverty, an ocean of distress,
fall-down from my position or even death itself as much as I fear cheating a
brahmana.
यद् यद्धास्यति लोकेऽस्मिन् सम्परेतं धनादिकम्।
तस्य त्यागे निमित्तं किं विप्रस्तुष्येन्न तेन चेत् ॥६॥
My Lord, you can also see
that all the material opulences of this world are certainly separated from
their possessor at death.  Therefore, if
the brahmana Vamanadeva is not satisfied by whatever gifts one has given, why
not please Him with the riches one is destined to lose at death?
श्रेयः कुर्वन्ति भूतानां साधवो दुस्त्यजासुभिः।
दध्यङ्शिबिप्रभृतयः को विकल्पो धरादिषु ॥७॥
Dadhichi, Sibi and many
other great personalities were willing to sacrifice even their lives for the
benefit of the people in general.  This
is the evidence of history.  So why not
give up this insignificant land?  What is
the serious consideration against it?
यैरियं बुभुजे ब्रह्मन् दैत्येन्द्रैरनिवर्तिभिः।
तेषां कालोऽग्रसील्लोकान् न यशोऽधिगतं भुवि ॥८॥
O best of brahmanas, certainly the great demoniac
kings who were never reluctant to fight enjoyed this world, but in due course
of time everything they had was taken away, except their reputation, by which
they continue to exist.  In other words,
one should try to achieve a good reputation instead of anything else.
सुलभा युधि विप्रर्षे ह्यनिवृत्तास्तनुत्यजः।
न तथा तीर्थ आयाते श्रद्धया ये धनत्यजः ॥९॥
O best of the brahmanas,
many men have laid down their lives on the battlefield, being unafraid of
fighting, but rarely has one gotten the chance to give his accumulated wealth
faithfully to a saintly person who creates holy places.
मनस्विनः कारुणिकस्य शोभनं
    यदर्थिकामोपनयेन दुर्गतिः
कुतः पुनः ब्रह्मविदां भवादृशां
    ततो वटोरस्य ददामि वाञ्छितम् ॥१०॥
By giving charity, a
benevolent and merciful person undoubtedly becomes even more auspicious,
especially when he gives charity to a person like your good self.  Under the circumstances, I must give this
little brahmachari whatever charity He wants from me,
यजन्ति यज्ञक्रतुभिर्यमादृता
   भवन्त आम्नायविधानकोविदाः।
स एव विष्णुर्वरदोऽस्तु वा परो
   दास्याम्यमुष्मै क्षितिमीप्सितां मुने ॥११॥
O great sage, great
saintly persons like you, being completely aware of the Vedic principles for
performing ritualistic ceremonies and yajnas, worship Lord Vishnu in all
circumstances.  Therefore, whether that
same Lord Vishnu has come here to give me all benedictions or to punish me as
an enemy, I must carry out His order and give Him the requested tract of land
without hesitation.
यद्यप्यसावधर्मेण मां बध्नीयादनागसम्।
तथाप्येनं न हिंसिष्ये भीतं ब्रह्मतनुं रिपुम् ॥१२॥
Although He is Vishnu
Himself, out of fear He has covered Himself in the form of a brahmana to come
to me begging.  Under the circumstances,
because He has assumed the form of a brahmana, even if he arrests me  contrary to dharma as I am without
blame, I shall not retaliate, although He is my enemy.
एष वा उत्तमश्लोको न जिहासति यद् यशः।
हत्वा मैनां हरेद् युद्धे शयीत निहतो मया ॥१३॥
If this brahmana really is Lord Vishnu, who is
worshiped by Vedic hymns, He would never give up His widespread reputation;
either He would lie down having been killed by me, or He would kill me in a
fight.
श्रीशुक उवाच-
एवमश्रद्धितं शिष्यमनादेशकरं गुरुः।
शशाप दैवप्रहितः सत्यसन्धं मनस्विनम् ॥१४॥
Sri Sukadeva Goswami
continued: Thereafter, the spiritual master, Sukracharya, being inspired by the
Supreme Lord, cursed his exalted disciple Bali Maharaja, who was so magnanimous
and fixed in truthfulness that instead of respecting his spiritual master’s
instructions, he wanted to disobey his order. 
दृढं पण्डिमान्यज्ञः स्तब्धोऽस्यस्मदुपेक्षया।
मच्छासनातिगो यस्त्वमचिराद्  भ्रश्यते श्रियः ॥१५॥
Although you have no
knowledge, you have become a so-called learned person, and therefore you dare
be so impudent as to disobey my order. 
Because of disobeying me, you shall very soon be bereft of all our
opulence.
एवं शप्तः स्वगुरुणा सत्यान्न चलितो महान्।
वामनाय ददावेनामर्चित्वोदकपूर्वकम् ॥१६॥
Sri Sukadeva Goswami continued: Even after being
cursed in this way by his own spiritual master, Bali Maharaja, being a great
personality, never deviated from his determination.  Therefore, according to custom, he first
offered water to Vamanadeva and then offered Him the gift of land he had
promised.
विन्ध्यावलिस्तदाऽऽगत्य पत्नी जालकमालिनी।
आनिन्ये कलशं हैममवनेजन्यपां भृतम्॥१७॥
Bali Maharaja’s wife,
known as Vindhyavali, who was decorated with a necklace of pearls, immediately
came and had a large golden waterpot brought there, full of water with which to
wirship the Lord by washing His feet.
यजमानः स्वयं तस्य श्रीमत् पादयुगं मुदा।
अवनिज्यावहन्मूर्ध्नि तदपो विश्वपावनीः॥१८॥
Bali Mahararaja, the
worshiper of Lord Vamanadeva, jubilantly washed the Lord’s lotus feet and then
took the water on his head, for that water delivers the entire universe.
तदासुरेन्द्रं दिवि देवतागणा
   गन्धर्वविद्याधरसिद्धचारणाः।
तत्कर्म सर्वेऽपि गृणन्त आर्जवं
   प्रसूनवर्षैर्ववृषुर्मुदान्विताः ॥१९॥
At that time, the
residents of the higher planetary system, namely demigods, the Gandharvas, the
Vidyadharas, the Siddhas and the Charanas, all being very pleased by Bali
Maharaja’s simple, non-duplicitous act, praised his qualities and showered upon
him millions of flowers.
                
नेदुर्मुहुर्दुन्दुभयो सहस्रशो
  गन्धर्वकिम्पूरुषकिन्नरा जगुः।
मनस्विनानेन कृतं सुदुष्करं
  विद्वानदाद् यद् रिपवे जगत्त्र्यम्॥२०॥
The Gandharvas, the
Kimpurushas and Kinnaras sounded thousands of kettledrums and trumpets again
and again, and they sang in great jubilation, declaring, “How exalted a person
is Bali Maharaja, and what a difficult task he has performed! Even though he
knew that Lord Vishnu was on the side of his enemies, he nonetheless gave the
Lord the entire three worlds in charity.”
तद् वामनं रूपमवर्धताद्भुतं
  हरेरनन्तस्य गुणत्रयात्मकम्।
भूः खं दिशो द्यौर्विवराः पयोधय-
  स्तिर्यङ्नृदेवा ऋषयो यदासत ॥२१॥
The unlimited Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who had assumed the form of Vamana, then began
increasing in size, acting in terms of the material energy, until everything in
the universe was within His body, including the earth, the planetary systems,
the sky, the directions, the various holes in the universe, the seas, the
oceans, the birds, the beasts, human beings, the demigods and the great saintly
persons.
काये बलिस्तस्य महाविभूतेः
  सहर्त्विगाचार्यसदस्य एतत्।
ददर्श विश्वं त्रिगुणं गुणात्मके
   भूतेन्द्रियार्थाशयजीवयुक्तम् ॥२२॥
Bali Maharaja, along with
all the priests, acharyas and members of the assembly, observed the Supreme
Personality of Godhead’s universal body, which was full of six opulences.  That body contained everything within the
universe, including all the gross material elements, the senses, the sense
objects, the mind, intelligence and false ego, the various kinds of living
entities, and the actions and reactions of the three modes of material nature.
रसामचष्टाङ्घ्रितलेऽथ पादयो-
  र्महीं महीध्रान् पुरुषस्य जङ्घयोः।
पतत्त्रिणो जानुनि विश्वमूर्ते-
  रूर्वोर्गणम् मारुतमिन्द्रसेनः ॥२३॥
Thereafter, Bali
Maharaja, who was occupying the seat of King Indra, could see the lower
planetary systems, such as Rasatala, on the soles of the feet of the Lord’s
universal form.  He saw on the Lord’s
feet the surface of the globe, on the surface of His calves all the mountains,
on His knees the various birds, and on His thighs the varieties of air.
सन्ध्यां विभोर्वाससि गुह्य ऐक्षत्
   प्रजापतीञ्जघने आत्ममुख्यान् ।
नाभ्यां नभः कुक्षिषु सप्तसिन्धू-
   नुरुक्रमस्योरसि चर्क्षमालाम्॥२४॥
Bali Maharaja saw beneath
the garments of the Lord, who acts wonderfully, the evening twilight.  In the Lord’s private parts he saw the Prajapatis,
and in the round portion of the waist he saw himself with his confidential
associates.  In the Lord’s navel he saw
the sky, on the Lord’s waist he saw the seven oceans, and on the Lord’s bosom
he saw all the clusters of stars.
हृद्यङ्ग धर्मं स्तनयोर्मुरारेः
   ऋतं च सत्यं च मनस्यथेन्दुम्।
श्रियं च वक्षस्यरविन्दहस्तां
   कण्ठे च सामानि समस्तरेफान् ॥२५॥
इन्द्रप्रधानानमरान् भुजेषु
   तत्कर्णयोः ककुभो द्यौश्च मूर्ध्नि।
केशेषु मेघाञ्छ्‍वसनं नासिकाया-
   मक्ष्णोश्च सूर्यं वदने च वह्निम् ॥२६॥
वाण्यां च छन्दांसि रसे जलेशं
   भ्रुवोर्निषेधं च विधिं च पक्ष्मसु।
अहश्च रात्रिं च परस्य पुंसो
   मन्युं ललाटेऽधर एव लोभम् ॥२७॥
स्पर्शे च कामं नृप रेतसोऽम्भः
  पृष्ठे त्वधर्मं क्रमणेषु यज्ञम्।
 छायासु मृत्युं हसिते च मायां
   तनूरुहेष्वोषधिजातयश्च ॥२८॥
नदीश्च नाडीषु शिला नखेषु
   बुद्धावजं देवगणानृषींश्च।
प्राणेषु गात्रे स्थिरजंगमानि
   सर्वाणि भूतानि ददर्श वीरः ॥२९॥
My dear King, on the
heart of Lord Murari he saw dharma; on the chest, both pleasing words and
truthfulness; in the mind, the moon; on the bosom, the goddess of fortune, with
a lotus flower in her hand; on the neck, all the Vedas and all sound
vibrations; on the arms, all the demigods, headed by King Indra; in both ears,
all the directions; on the head, the upper planetary systems; on the hair, the
clouds; in the nostrils, the wind; on the eyes, the sun; and in the mouth,
fire.  From his words came all the Vedic
mantras, on His tongue was the demigod of water, Varunadeva, on His eyebrows
were the regulative principles, on His eyelids were day and night. [When His
eyes were open it was daytime, and when they were closed it was night.]  On his forehead was anger, and on His lips
was greed.  O King, in His touch were
lusty desires, in His semen were all the waters, on His back was irreligion (adharma),
and in His wonderful activities or steps was the fire of sacrifice.  On His shadow was death, in His smile was the
illusory energy (Maya), and on the hairs of His body were all the drugs
and herbs.  In His veins were all rivers,
on His nails were all the stones, in His intelligence were Lord Brahma, the
demigods and the great saintly persons, and throughout His entire body and
senses were all living entities, moving and stationary.  Bali Maharaja thus saw everything in the
gigantic body of the Lord.
सर्वात्मनीदं भुवनं निरीक्ष्य
    सर्वेऽसुराः कश्मलमापुरङ्ग।
सुदर्शनं चक्रमसह्यतेजो
    धनुश्च शार्ङ्गं स्तनयित्नुघोषम् ॥३०॥
O King, when all the
demons, the followers of Maharaja Bali, saw the universal form of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who held everything within His body, when they saw in
the Lord’s hand His disc, known as the Sudarsana chakra, which generates
intolerable heat, and  when they heard
the tumultuous sound of His bow, all of these caused lamentation within their
hearts.
पर्जन्यघोषो जलजः पाञ्चजन्यः
  कौमोदकी विष्णुगदा तरस्विनी।
विद्याधरोऽसिः शतचन्द्रयुक्त-
  स्तूणोत्तमावक्षयसायकौ च ॥३१॥
The Lord’s conch shell,
named Panchajanya, which made sound like that of a cloud; the very
forceful club named Kaumodaki; the sword named Vidyadhara, with a
shield decorated with hundreds of moonlike spots; and also Akshayasayaka,
the best of quivers – all of these appeared together to offer prayers to the
Lord.  
सुनन्दमुख्या उपतस्थुरीशं
   पार्षदमुख्याः सहलोकपालाः।
स्फुरत्किरीटाङ्गदमीनकुण्डल-
   श्रीवत्सरत्नोत्तम मेखलाम्बरैः ॥३२॥
मधुव्रतस्रग्वनमालया वृतो
  रराज राजन् भगवानुरुक्रमः।
क्षितिं पदैकेन बलेर्विचक्रमे
  नभः शरीरेण दिशश्च बाहुभिः ॥३३॥
These associates, headed
by Sunanda and other chief associates and accompanied by all the predominating
deities of the various planets, offered prayers to the Lord, who wore a
brilliant helmet, bracelets, and glittering earrings that resembled fish.  On the Lord’s bosom were the lock of hair
called Srivatsa and the transcendental jewel named Kaustubha.  He wore a yellow garment, covered by a belt,
and He was decorated by a flower garland, surrounded by bees.  Manifesting Himself in this way, O King, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose activities are wonderful, covered the
entire surface of the earth with one footstep, the sky with His body, and all
directions with His arms.  
पदं द्वितीयं क्रमतस्त्रिविष्टपं
   न वै तृतीयाय तदीयमण्वपि।
उरुक्रमस्याङ्घ्रिरुपर्युपर्यथो
   महर्जनाभ्यां तपसः परं गतः॥३४॥ 
As the Lord took His second step,  He covered the heavenly planets.  And not even a spot remained for the third
step, for the Lord’s foot extended higher and higher, beyond Maharloka,
Janaloka, Tapoloka and even Satyaloka.
 इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे
पारमहंस्यां संहितायामष्टमस्कन्धे
           विश्वरूपदर्शनो नाम विंशोऽध्यायः           

Sri P R Ramamurthy Ji was the author of this website. When he started this website in 2009, he was in his eighties. He was able to publish such a great number of posts in limited time of 4 years. We appreciate his enthusiasm for Sanskrit Literature. Authors story in his own words : http://ramamurthypr1931.blogspot.com/

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