Chapter 19: Lord Vâmanadeva Begs Charity from Bali Mahârâja

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'When He thus heard the very pleasing and faithful, dharmic words of the son of Virocana, the Supreme Lord praised him satisfied with the following words. (2) The Supreme Lord said: 'Oh Lord of Man, what you have said is very true, befits the dynasty, is in accord with the dharma and adds to your repute. It proves the authority of the Bhrigu brahmins and is of the peace of your grandfather [Prahlâda], your oldest ancestor in the afterlife. (3) No one in this dynasty has been as poor-minded as to break his promises unto the brahmins and not be charitable. (4) Because of the impeccable reputation of Prahlâda who is like a clear moon in the sky oh ruler, in your dynasty no kings are found who, in holy places or on the battlefield, were as low-minded not to respond to the requests of petitioners. (5) In this dynasty Hiranyâksha was born who, alone wandering around on this earth to conquer its directions with his club, could not find a hero equal to him. (6) After Vishnu [as a boar] had delivered the world and with great difficulty had defeated him, He considered himself only victorious when He constantly thought of Hiranyâksha's heroism [see 3.17-19]! (7) When his brother Hiranyakas'ipu heard that he had been killed, he very angry went to the abode of the Lord to put an end to the One who had finished his brother [see 7.3]. (8) Seeing him with the trident in his hand coming towards Him like death personified the Chief of the Mystics, the Knower of Time, Lord Vishnu, thought the following. (9) 'Wherever I go this one - like the death of each - will also go. I will enter his heart therefore, he only looks outside of himself.' (10) Thus decided oh King of the Asuras, He, invisible in His subtle body, entered the body of the persecuting enemy through the breath in his nostril. (11) Hiranyakas'ipu searching His abode found it empty. Enraged because he in spite of his power could not see Vishnu in any direction of the surface of the earth, in outer space, in the sky, in the caves and in the oceans, he screamed loudly. (12) When he could not find Him anywhere he said: 'I have searched the entire universe for Him who killed my brother. He must have left for the place no one returns from, He must have died.' (13) Ego inspired enmity - an anger which has its basis in ignorance - does not persist until death when it concerns physical-minded people. [But with Hiranyakas'pu it did]. (14) Your father [Virocana], the son of Prahlâda, surrendered upon the request of the demigods his life to them despite of the fact that he knew that they had dressed up as brahmins because of his affinity with the twice-born ones. (15) You also executed yourself the dharma that was established by the householders, the brahmins, your forefathers, the great heroes and other highly elevated and famous souls. (16) Someone like your Majesty I ask for a little bit of land. Oh King of the Daityas, from him who can be so generous in his charity I ask three footsteps to the measure of My reach. (17) There is nothing else I desire from you oh munificent King, oh master of the universe. May the one of learning not suffer any want and receive by donations as much as he needs.'

(18) S'rî Bali said: 'Alas oh brahmin scion, Your words may be welcome to the scholars and the elderly ones, but as a boy not bent on taxing for his self-interest You are not quite aware of what it all takes. (19) It is for him who with sweet words propitiates me, the one and only master of all the world, not very intelligent to ask for three steps of land when I can give an entire continent! (20) No one who once has approached me deserves it to beg again and therefore, oh small brahmacârî, take from me as You desire whatever would suit Your needs.'

(21) The Supreme Lord said: 'All sense objects capable of pleasing someone within these three worlds, together cannot satisfy the person who has no control over his senses oh King [see also 5.5: 4]. (22) He who is not satisfied with three steps of land will not be content with a complete continent of nine lands either, for then he will desire to take possession of all the seven continents. (23) We heard that kings like Prithu and Gaya who managed to rule all the seven continents, did not reach the end of their ambitions or their desire for wealth. (24) One should be satisfied with that what one accidentally happens to acquire. There is no happiness for a dissatisfied person who has no control over himself, not even when he possesses the three worlds [see also 7.6: 3-5, 5.5: 1 and B.G. 6: 20-23]. (25) When someone is dissatisfied with his money and sensual pleasures, there is no end to his materially determined existence [of repeatedly dying and starting all over again]. He, however, who is satisfied with that what was acquired by fate, applies for liberation. (26) The spiritual power and glory of a brahmin increases when he is satisfied with what he obtained by providence, but decreases with his dissatisfaction like a fire that is extinguished with water. (27) I therefore ask you who are so munificent as a benefactor, for three steps of land, for My purpose is met perfectly with acquiring nothing more than what is needed.'

(28) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus being addressed Bali said with a smile to Lord Vâmana: 'Now take from me what You want' and in order to give Him the land, he took up his water pot [so as to confirm his promise ritually with its water]. (29) S'ukrâcârya, a great expert in these matters, guessed what Vishnu's plan was and addressed the Asura lord, his disciple, who was about to deliver the land to Lord Vishnu.'

(30) S'rî S'ukrâcârya said: 'This person oh son of Virocana, is the immortal Supreme Lord Vishnu Himself. He took His birth from Kas'yapa and Aditi to serve the interest of the godly ones. (31) I think that what you promised is at odds with your intentions. You do not realize what you have agreed upon, it is not good for it entails great adversity for the Daityas! (32) He, impersonating as a human child, is the Lord who teaches you a lesson. He will snatch away all material beauty and riches, power and repute and give it to your enemy [lord Indra, see also 7.10]. (33) With these three steps He will seize all the worlds by expanding to the universal form. How can you keep your position after as a fool having given everything away to Vishnu! (34) One after the other He with the first step will take the earth and with the second step occupy outer space. In the ether expanding to His greatest size, where should He make his third step? (35) You will be in hell forever I think, for that is what happens to people who do not keep their promises. Your Majesty cannot live up to the expectations you have created. (36) The wise do not favor any charity that endangers one's livelihood, for it is because of one's capacity to maintain oneself that sacrifice, charity, austerity and fruitive activity are possible in this world. (37) In order to be happy in this world as also in the next, one should divide one's earnings in five: one part is for the religion, one is for one's respectability, one for one's property, one for one's pleasure and one for the family. (38) Now listen to what, in this regard [concerning your promise] is stated in many Vedic verses oh best of the Asuras. That what is true is preceded by the word om [AUM, 'yes', 'so be it'] and things said that were not preceded by that word are called untrue [false or deceptive, see also B.G 17: 24, 9: 17 and 8: 13]. (39) Understand the Vedic truth about the flowers and the fruits: one may pick the fruits from the body of a tree but if the tree is not alive then that root of the body is not the truth so that it is impossible to pick [compare B.G. 8: 6]. (40) When a tree falls down it will, being uprooted, quickly dry out. Likewise the bodily reality also will soon end and dry out [when its maintenance has been uprooted *], that suffers no doubt. (41) The use of the syllable om entails that one separates oneself from [one's wealth], that one is freed from it, yes, that someone with everything that he says with om, will be losing it. When one thus expressing oneself donates in charity to beggars, one will see one's wealth diminished so that because of that om exercise there will not be enough for one's own sense gratification and self-realization. (42) Choose therefore now fully for yourself. It is a falsehood but it is not completely untrue to say this [in favor of your own position], for speaking a complete lie would make you infamous, would make you a living corpse. (43) A lie that heals is better than a truth that wounds when one wants to charm a woman, wants to tell a joke, wants to marry, wants to make a living, in times of danger, when one must protect the cows and the brahminical culture or when one has to defend against violence.'