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<div class="cat_heading" style="clear:both;">View an introduction to '''[[Vanipedia:Bali - a glorious personality|Bali Mahārāja - a glorious personality]]''' at Vanipedia.</div> | <div class="cat_heading" style="clear:both;">View an introduction to '''[[Vanipedia:Bali - a glorious personality|Bali Mahārāja - a glorious personality]]''' at Vanipedia.</div> | ||
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*Husband of Asana and Vindhyavali | *Husband of Asana and Vindhyavali | ||
*Father of one hundred sons including '''[[:Category:Banasura|King Bāṇāsura]]''' | *Father of one hundred sons including '''[[:Category:Banasura|King Bāṇāsura]]''' | ||
[[Category:Personalities from Srimad Bhagavatam]] | |||
[[Category:Names of Devotees of God]] | |||
[[Category:Names of the Twelve Mahajanas]] | |||
[[Category:Names of Saintly Kings]] | |||
[[Category:Nine Processes of Devotional Service to God|909]] | |||
[[Category:All Categories - Vaniquotes]] | [[Category:All Categories - Vaniquotes]] | ||
Latest revision as of 09:43, 20 April 2024
View an introduction to Bali Mahārāja - a glorious personality at Vanipedia.
"Bali Maharaja" | "Bali Maharaja's" | "Bali" | "Bali's" | "King Bali" | "King Bali's" | "Maharaja Bali" | "Maharaja Bali's"
- Bali Mahārāja
- Great-great-grandson of Kaśyapa and Diti
- Great-grandson of Hiraṇyakaśipu and Kayadhu
- Grandson of Prahlāda Mahārāja
- Son of Virocana
- Husband of Asana and Vindhyavali
- Father of one hundred sons including King Bāṇāsura
Subcategories Pages in category
This category has the following 9 subcategories, out of 9 total.
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Pages in category "Bali"
The following 407 pages are in this category, out of 407 total.
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A
- A further advantage of this place designed for Bali Maharaja was that he would not be disturbed by any outward calamity
- A great devastating fire created by Bali Maharaja began burning all the soldiers of the demigods. This fire, accompanied by blasting winds, seemed as terrible as the Samvartaka fire, which appears at the time of dissolution
- A horse named Uccaihsrava was generated (during the churning of the ocean of milk). This horse was taken by Bali Maharaja. Then there appeared Airavata and other elephants that could go anywhere in any direction, and she-elephants also appeared
- A horse named Uccaihsrava, which was as white as the moon, was generated. Bali Maharaja desired to possess this horse, and Indra, the King of heaven, did not protest, for he had previously been so advised by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- A ksatriya does not refuse to give charity when requested by a brahmana, nor can he refuse to fight another ksatriya. A king who does refuse is called low-minded. In the dynasty of Bali Maharaja there were no such low-minded kings
- A ksatriya must be tolerant in all circumstances, especially on the battlefield. Thus Bali Maharaja asserted that he was not at all afraid of death, although he was threatened by such a great personality as the King of heaven
- A person who is not at all demoniac, such as Prahlada Maharaja and Bali Maharaja, may outwardly be a demon or be born in a family of demons. Therefore in terms of real culture one should not be considered a demigod or demon simply according to birth
- According to custom, he first offered water to Vamanadeva and then offered Him the gift of land he had promised
- According to SB, there are twelve authorities, & they are all famous because they were all great devotees of the Lord. These authorities are Brahma, Narada, Lord Siva, Manu, Kapila, Prahlada, Janaka, Bhisma, Sukadeva Gosvami, Bali, Yamaraja & the Kumaras
- According to the Vedic sastras there are twelve authorities. These are Svayambhu, Narada, Sambhu, Kumara, Kapila, Manu, prahlada, Janaka, Bhisma, Bali, Sukadeva Gosvami and Yamaraja. Svayambhu is Brahma, and Sambhu is Lord Siva
- After deliberating on this point (whether to follow his guru or please the SPG independently), he (Bali Maharaja) decided that Lord Visnu should be pleased in all circumstances, even at the risk of ignoring the guru's advice to the contrary
- After gathering the demoniac soldiers, Bali Maharaja departed for the opulent capital of Indra. Indeed, he seemed to make the entire surface of the world tremble
- After getting on the chariot given by Sukracarya, Bali Maharaja, decorated with a nice garland, put protective armor on his body, equipped himself with a bow, and took up a sword and a quiver of arrows
- After pleasing Bali Maharaja with mild words, Lord Indra, the King of the demigods, who was most intelligent, very politely submitted all the proposals he had learned from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu
- After this, Bali Maharaja brought valuable garments, ornaments, sandalwood pulp, betel nuts, lamps and various nectarean foods, and along with his family members he worshiped the Lords according to the regulative principles
- After thus rebuking Indra, King of heaven, with sharp words, Bali Maharaja, who could subdue any other hero, drew back to his ear the arrows known as naracas and attacked Indra with these arrows. Then he again chastised Indra with strong words
- All glories to Lord Kesava, who assumed the form of a dwarf. O Lord of the universe, who takes away everything inauspicious for the devotees! O wonderful Vamanadeva! You tricked the great demon Bali Maharaja by Your steps
- All the demigods, being afraid of him (Bali), left the heavenly planets and went away, following the instructions of their guru
- Although a father, mother, brother or friend may sometimes punish one as a well-wisher, they never punish their subordinate like this. But because You are the most worshipable Lord, I regard the punishment You have given me as most exalted
- Although all his property was taken and he was thrown into a cave, Bali Maharaja was such a great devotee that he spoke as follows
- Although Bali Maharaja fully surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he could not tolerate being defamed for cheating a brahmana-brahmacari
- Although Bali Maharaja was actually following the path of his grandfather (Prahlad Maharaja), because of his great humility he thought that he was not
- Although Bali Maharaja was cheated (by Visnu), his reputation as a great devotee able to give anything and everything in charity is still glorified throughout the three worlds
- Although Bali Maharaja was offering his body to the Lord for the Lord's third step, he was still in the darkness of ignorance. Actually the body did not belong to him, but because of his long-standing demoniac mentality he could not understand this
- Although bereft of his riches, fallen from his original position, defeated and arrested by his enemies, rebuked and deserted by his relatives and friends, Bali Maharaja, being fixed in his vow, did not give up his truthfulness
- Although his commanders and captains were agitated and were about to kill the demigods, Maharaja Bali, seeing that the demigods were coming to him without a militant attitude, forbade his commanders to kill them
- Although it is contradictory to say that the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His incarnation is poverty-stricken, we find in the revealed scriptures that when the Lord incarnated as Vamana, He begged some land from Maharaja Bali
- Although Lord Brahma was speaking, he had to stop for a while because Bali Maharaja's wife, Vindhyavali, who was very agitated and afraid, wanted to say something
- Although rebuked and cursed by his spiritual master, Bali Maharaja, being fixed in his vow, did not give up his truthfulness
- Although suffering the pain of being bound and although rebuked and cursed by his spiritual master, Bali Maharaja, being fixed in his vow, did not give up his truthfulness
- Although you can produce so much jugglery through illusion, you are endowed with a poor fund of knowledge. Now, try to exist on this battlefield with your relatives and friends
- 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 your opulence
- Arjuna, Prahlada, Janaka Maharaja, Bali Maharaja and many other devotees were not even in the renounced order of life, but were householders. Some of them, such as Prahlada Maharaja and Bali Maharaja, were born of demoniac families
- As described by Bali Maharaja, Lord Visnu was actually not the enemy of the family but the best friend of the family. The principle of this friendship has already been stated. Yasyaham anugrhnami harisye tad-dhanam sanaih: SB 10.88.8
- As described in this verse (of SB 8.22.29-30), hardly anyone could survive such a test, but for the future glorification of Bali Maharaja, one of the mahajanas, the Lord not only tested him but also gave him the strength to tolerate such adversity
- As far as the sun and moon shine with the stars and as far as the clouds pour rain, all the land throughout the universe is in your possession
- As indicated by Bali Maharaja by the words janad bhitah, every devotee in Krsna consciousness should always be afraid of the common man engaged in pursuing material prosperity. Such a person is described as pramatta, a madman chasing the will-o'-the-wisp
- As Krsna challenged Arjuna by saying that he was not a pandita, or a learned person, Bali Maharaja also challenged King Indra and his associates
- As soon as he saw Lord Krsna and Balarama in his presence, he and all his family members stood up from their seats and bowed down at the lotus feet of the Lords
- As you have already stated, the principle of religion that doesn't hinder one's economic development, sense gratification, fame & means of livelihood is the real occupational duty of the householder. I also think that this religious principle is correct
- At that time, the residents of the higher planetary system, namely the demigods, the Gandharvas, the Vidyadharas, the Siddhas and the Caranas, all being very pleased by Bali Maharaja's simple, nonduplicitous act, praised his qualities
B
- Bali decided not to follow his spiritual master's instruction that he deny his promise to Vamanadeva; instead, he decided to give the land according to the promise and be everlastingly celebrated as one of the twelve mahajanas (balir vaiyasakir vayam)
- Bali Maharaja accepted this civilization of the soul in exchange for his great material possessions and thus became fit for promotion to the kingdom of God
- Bali Maharaja appreciated how the Lord had saved him from such a bewildered life of ignorance. He therefore said that his intelligence had been stunned. Stabdha-matir na budhyate
- Bali Maharaja appreciated the actions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although all the members of the demoniac families except Prahlada Maharaja and Bali Maharaja considered Visnu their eternal traditional enemy
- Bali Maharaja appreciated the Lord's mercy not only upon him but upon many other demons. Because this mercy is liberally distributed, the Supreme Lord is called all-merciful
- Bali Maharaja became an authority, because he showed the example of surrendering everything, sarvatma-snapane, even his body. First of all he gave his kingdom
- Bali Maharaja cited the tangible examples of Maharaja Sibi and Maharaja Dadhici, who had given up their lives for the benefit of the general public
- Bali Maharaja conquered all the planets of the universe by rightful possession. A king can conquer other kings by strength, and such possession is considered to be rightful
- Bali Maharaja considered that Sukracarya was no longer to be accepted as a spiritual master, for he had deviated from the duty of a spiritual master
- Bali Maharaja considered the Supreme Personality of Godhead a better friend to the demons than to the demigods. In the material world, the more one gets material possessions, the more he becomes blind to spiritual life
- Bali Maharaja could guess that the brahmana was Lord Visnu Himself and had come to him just to take away his opulent kingdom on behalf of Indra
- Bali Maharaja could not understand how the Supreme Personality of Godhead favors His devotees by forcibly stopping their materialistic activities
- Bali Maharaja could understand that the Lord had some hidden purpose in punishing him. Consequently he was neither unhappy nor ashamed because of the awkward position in which he had been put by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Bali Maharaja could understand the pretense of Lord Vamanadeva, who had taken the side of the demigods and come before him as a beggar
- Bali Maharaja decided that even though he would become poverty-stricken by giving everything to Vamanadeva, this is what he would prefer
- Bali Maharaja decided that such hindrances (Sukracharya's putting forward a material argument to hamper this process of devotional service) should certainly be avoided
- Bali Maharaja defied the order of his so-called spiritual master
- Bali Maharaja did not agree to abide by the order of his spiritual master (to not give land to Lord Vamanadeva) when he understood that the beggar was Visnu Himself, and he at once agreed to give Him in charity the land requested
- Bali Maharaja explains that the body, which is the center of all material activities, is also a foreign element. Even though we want to keep the body fit and helpful to our activities, the body cannot continue eternally
- Bali Maharaja fully surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he could not tolerate being defamed for cheating a brahmana-brahmacari. Being quite alert in regard to his reputation, he thought deeply about how to prevent being defamed
- Bali Maharaja gave a gift of three paces of land to Lord Visnu, & because of this charity he lost all the three worlds. Later, however, when Visnu is pleased because of Bali's giving everything to Him, Bali Maharaja will achieve the perfection of life
- Bali Maharaja gave only three paces of land in charity to Vamanadeva, and he also offered a little water which Lord Vamanadeva accepted, and thereby Bali Maharaja attained the position of Indra
- Bali Maharaja had already been blessed by his grandfather Prahlada Maharaja. Therefore, he was a pure devotee, although born in a family of demons
- Bali Maharaja had already offered everything to Your Lordship. Without hesitation, he has offered his land, the planets and whatever else he earned by his pious activities, including even his own body
- Bali Maharaja had confidentially decided to give the gift to Lord Vamanadeva without discussion, but because such a decision would hurt the hearts of the asuras and his spiritual master, Sukracarya, he spoke equivocally
- Bali Maharaja had no faults; Sukracarya had unnecessarily cursed him. Nonetheless, this was better for Bali Maharaja
- Bali Maharaja had one hundred sons, of whom Maharaja Bana was the eldest and most famous
- Bali Maharaja had the opportunity to contribute everything he possessed to the lotus feet of Lord Vamanadeva, but Sukracarya was putting forward a material argument to hamper this process of devotional service
- Bali Maharaja has become the most famous among the demons and nonbelievers, for in spite of being bereft of all material opulences, he is fixed in his devotional service
- Bali Maharaja has now become extremely powerful because of the benedictions given him by the brahmanas, but when he later insults the brahmanas, he will be vanquished, along with his friends and assistants
- Bali Maharaja is a great authority in devotional service because he sacrificed everything to please the Lord and relinquished the connection of his so-called spiritual master who obstructed him on the path of risking everything for the service of the Lord
- Bali Maharaja is the grandson of Prahlada Maharaja. They are demonic family. So amongst the demons, many devotees came out. So to become devotee does not depend on particular family, this or that. No. Anyone can become devotee
- Bali Maharaja knew that Indra, King of heaven, was extremely powerful, certainly more powerful than he himself. Nonetheless, Bali Maharaja challenged Indra by saying that Indra was not a very learned person
- Bali Maharaja knew the secret of how he had formerly been victorious because providence was in his favor. Now, since that same providence was not in his favor, there was no possibility of his victory. He very intelligently forbade his associates to fight
- Bali Maharaja lamented that although Indra was very learned, he did not know how to use his intelligence properly, for instead of asking Vamanadeva to allow him to engage in His service, Indra used Him to beg Bali Maharaja for material wealth
- Bali Maharaja might argue that he had promised only three steps of land. But Sukracarya, being a very learned brahmana, immediately understood that this was a plan of Hari, who had falsely appeared there as a brahmacari
- Bali Maharaja passed all such examinations (by God), as explained in the following verses - of SB 8.22.29-30
- Bali Maharaja passed the severe test put before him by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is further proof of the Lord's mercy toward His devotee
- Bali Maharaja possessed all the lands of the universe, and he happened to be charitably disposed toward the brahmanas. The Lord therefore pretended to be a beggar brahmana, and He asked Bali Maharaja for a measurement of three footsteps of land
- Bali Maharaja regularly maintained devotion for the Lord, and because he was purified, the Lord appeared before him
- Bali Maharaja rejected his spiritual master. That's a great sin. But he rejected on shastric ground, because he objected for Visnu worship. Therefore such spiritual master should be rejected. Therefore he became mahajana, authority
- Bali Maharaja replied: All those present on this battlefield are certainly under the influence of eternal time, and according to their prescribed activities, they are destined to receive fame, victory, defeat and death, one after another
- Bali Maharaja said that because his grandfather Prahlada Maharaja had rejected the blessings of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in terms of material opulence and liberation from material bondage, he truly understood his self-interest
- Bali Maharaja said to God: daivena nitah prasabham tyajita-srih: "It is to bring me to the right platform of eternal life that You have put me into these circumstances"
- Bali Maharaja said to God: On behalf of the demigods, You disguised Yourself to cheat me, saying that You wanted only three paces of land, but later You expanded Your body to such an extent that with two footsteps You covered the entire universe
- Bali Maharaja said: My grandfather Prahlada Maharaja is the only person who understood his own self-interest
- Bali Maharaja said: O son of a brahmana, Your instructions are as good as those of learned and elderly persons. Nonetheless, You are a boy, and Your intelligence is insufficient. Thus You are not very prudent in regard to Your self-interest
- Bali Maharaja said: What a wonderful effect there is in even attempting to offer respectful obeisances to You! I merely endeavored to offer You obeisances, but nonetheless the attempt was as successful as those of pure devotees
- 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
- Bali Maharaja saw his grandfather Prahlada Maharaja, the most fortunate personality, whose dark body resembled black ointment for the eyes
- Bali Maharaja 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
- Bali Maharaja says, "What is the use of such endeavor?" Therefore big, big saintly persons, they do not care for the body. Lying down anywhere. But they are very serious about spiritual advancement
- Bali Maharaja seriously felt that he was an offender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Certainly Prahlada Maharaja would not like this. Therefore Bali Maharaja was ashamed and hung his head
- Bali Maharaja then disappeared and resorted to demoniac illusions. A giant mountain, generated from illusion, then appeared above the heads of the demigod soldiers
- Bali Maharaja then said to Lord Vamanadeva: O brahmana, I offer You my hearty welcome and my respectful obeisances. Please let us know what we may do for You. We think of You as the personified austerity of the great brahmana-sages
- Bali Maharaja wanted to give charity to Vamanadeva, but the Lord expanded His body in such a way that He showed Bali Maharaja that everything in the universe is already in His body
- Bali Maharaja was determined to give up everything for the satisfaction of the Lord, and he did not care for any obstruction whatsoever
- Bali Maharaja was indeed a fully surrendered devotee, but even some demons who were not at all devotees but merely enemies of the Lord attained the same exalted position achieved by many mystic yogis
- Bali Maharaja was nothing but a shameless demon, specifically described as tyakta-hriyas tvad-avaropita-kartr-vadah, a foolish person claiming proprietorship over the property of the Supreme Person
- Bali Maharaja was the grandson of Prahlada Maharaja. The son of Prahlada Maharaja was Virocana, and his son was known as Bali
- Bali Maharaja was then given the whole of Sutala for his residence and kingdom
- Bali Maharaja was transferred from the heavenly planet to the planet Sutala, which is hundreds of times better than heaven, as indicated by the words svargibhih prarthyam
- Bali Maharaja was very experienced in universal affairs. When he regained his senses and memory by the grace of Sukracarya, he could understand everything that had happened. Therefore, although he had been defeated, he did not lament
- Bali Maharaja was very glad to receive the Lord's remaining step upon his head, and thus Bali Maharaja, instead of losing everything he possessed, was blessed by the Lord's becoming his constant companion and doorman
- Bali Maharaja was very sensible. He knew that the fighting was arranged by eternal time and that under time's influence one must accept the results of one's own activities
- Bali Maharaja's chaste wife, afraid and aggrieved at seeing her husband arrested, immediately offered obeisances to Lord Vamanadeva (Upendra). She folded her hands and spoke
- Bali Maharaja's grave answer (the principle of religion that does not hinder one's economic development, sense gratification, fame and means of livelihood is the real occupational duty of the householder) to Sukracarya is meaningful
- Bali Maharaja's grave answer to Sukracarya is meaningful
- Bali Maharaja's statement that Visnu would lie down having been killed is not the direct meaning, for Visnu cannot be killed by anyone
- Bali Maharaja's tolerance and devotion were undoubtedly superexcellent. Garuda arrested Bali Maharaja to show the entire universe the greatness of the King's tolerance
- Bali Maharaja's wife accused Bali Maharaja by saying that although the Supreme Personality of Godhead had arrested him, showing him extraordinary mercy
- 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 worship the Lord by washing His feet
- Bali Maharaja's wife, who was most intelligent, supported the arrest of her husband and accused him of having no intelligence because he had claimed proprietorship of the property of the Lord. Such a claim is a sign of demoniac life
- Bali Maharaja, along with all the priests, acaryas and members of the assembly, observed the Supreme Personality of Godhead's universal body, which was full of six opulences
- Bali Maharaja, as a pure devotee, had already decided to give all the land to Lord Visnu
- Bali Maharaja, by gaining the transcendental favor of the Lord in exchange for his great material sacrifice, was able to have a place in Vaikunthaloka with equal or greater facilities of eternal enjoyment
- Bali Maharaja, following in the footsteps of his grandfather Prahlada Maharaja, remained fixed in his devotion to the Lord, despite the Lord's having punished him
- Bali Maharaja, jubilant at seeing Lord Vamanadeva, whose beautiful limbs contributed equally to the beauty of His entire body, offered Him a seat with great satisfaction
- Bali Maharaja, 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
- Bali Maharaja, who was the commander of numberless soldiers, gathered his soldiers outside this abode of Indra and attacked it from all directions
- Bali Maharaja: One of the twelve authorities in the devotional service of the Lord
- Bali means very powerful
- Bali said, "Even demigods cannot calculate the expanse of the activities of Your internal potency, so how is it possible for us to know it"
- Bali said, "My dear Lords (Krsna and Balarama), it is very difficult for the living entities to get to see You, yet when You are merciful upon Your devotees You are easy for them to see"
- Bali said, "My Lord Balarama, You are the original Anantadeva. You are so great that Anantadeva Sesa and other transcendental forms have originally emanated from You"
- Bali's spiritual master and family priest, Sukracarya, repeatedly warned him about this, yet Bali did not hesitate to give in charity whatever the brahmana wanted, and at last he gave up everything to that brahmana
- Bali, by the grace of Prahlada Maharaja, got the seed of devotional service, and when that seed developed, he achieved the ultimate fruit of that service, namely love of Godhead (prema pum-artho mahan), immediately upon the appearance of Lord Vamanadeva
- Bali, having been perfectly educated in bhakti by his grandfather Prahlada, knew how things are to be done. He was never to be misguided by anyone, even by a person who happened to be his so-called spiritual master. This is the sign of full surrender
- Because Bali Maharaja had satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there were no discrepancies in his performance of sacrifices
- Because he (Bali) was so learned, he could disobey the order of his so-called spiritual master
- Because of unalloyed love for the Lord, he (Bali) then immediately decided, "I shall give this little dwarf brahmana whatever He asks from me." This is a sign of love
- Because of Vamanadeva's bright effulgence, the priests, along with Bali Maharaja and all the members of the assembly, were robbed of their splendor
- Before Bali Maharaja's arrows could reach him, Indra, King of heaven, who is expert in dealing with arrows, smiled and counteracted the arrows with arrows of another type, known as bhalla, which were extremely sharp
- Being bound by the ropes of Varuna, Bali Maharaja could not offer befitting respect to Prahlada Maharaja as he had before. Rather, he simply offered respectful obeisances with his head, his eyes being inundated with tears and his face lowered in shame
- Being cursed by Sukracarya, Bali Maharaja was deprived of all his possessions, with the result that the Supreme Personality of Godhead favored him for his strong faith in devotional service
- Being falsely proud of your possessions, you promised to give Me land, but you could not fulfill your promise. Therefore, because your promise was false, you must live for a few years in hellish life
- Being quite alert in regard to his (Bali Maharaja) reputation, he thought deeply about how to prevent being defamed. The Lord, therefore, gave him the good counsel to prevent defamation by offering his head
- Below the planet Vitala is another planet, known as Sutala, where the great son of Maharaja Virocana, Bali Maharaja, who is celebrated as the most pious king, resides even now
- Besides the ten sons (of Krsna) described above (Krsna Book 61), Rukmini had one beautiful daughter with big eyes, and she was married to Krtavarma's son, whose name was Bali
- Brahma drew the Lord's attention to this subject (of BG 9.26) and requested that He release Bali Maharaja, who was suffering, being bound by the ropes of Varuna, and who had already given everything, including the three worlds and whatever he possessed
- Brhaspati informed Indra that Bali Maharaja's prowess was not his own but that of his exalted guru, Sukracarya
- Brhaspati informed Indra, "Ordinarily, Bali and his forces could not achieve such strength, but it appears that the brahmana descendants of Bhrgu Muni, being pleased with Bali Maharaja, endowed them with this spiritual power"
- Brhaspati informed the demigods that because Bali had been endowed with extraordinary power by the brahmanas, the demigods could not fight with him. Their only hope was to gain the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Brhaspati, the spiritual master of the demigods, said: O Indra, I know the cause for your enemy's becoming so powerful. The brahmana descendants of Bhrgu Muni, being pleased by Bali Maharaja, their disciple, endowed him with such extraordinary power
- By the semen of Dirghatama in the wife of Bali, the emperor of the world, six sons took birth, namely Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Suhma, Pundra and Odra
- By the supreme will of the Lord, he (Bali Maharaja) now had to go to the hellish planets, but because he went there by the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he lived there more opulently than one could expect to live in the planets of heaven
E
- European history is full of fighting, war. The basic idea is that everyone wanted to become master. That is the material disease. We are now discussing Bali Maharaja. He also wanted to become master of the whole universe. So that is the material disease
- Even though Indra threatened that he would now kill Bali Maharaja by releasing the thunderbolt, Bali Maharaja was not at all afraid. This is the spirit of a ksatriya: yuddhe capy apalayanam - BG 18.43
- Everyone knows that Vamanadeva was not at all poverty-stricken. His begging from Maharaja Bali was a device to favor him
- Everything is meant to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, since Bali Maharaja had satisfied the Lord, he had no faults, and Sukracarya admitted that cursing him was not good
- Examples of such devotees (who may not have undergone all the required details of bhakti but who, by the special mercy of guru and Krsna have immediately attained the perfection of bhakti) are the yajna-patnis, Maharaja Bali and Sukadeva Gosvami
F
- Following the order of Narada Muni, whatever demons remained on the battlefield took Bali Maharaja, who was in a precarious condition, to the hill known as Astagiri
- For a pure devotee, the door of liberation is automatically opened. One should not think that Bali Maharaja was given so much material opulence merely because of his charity
- For that battle the most celebrated commander in chief, Maharaja Bali, son of Virocana, was seated on a wonderful airplane named Vaihayasa
- For the welfare of Indra, the King of heaven, Lord Visnu appeared in the form of a dwarf brahmacari as the son of Aditi and tricked Bali Maharaja by begging for only three paces of land but taking all the three worlds
- From that mountain (generated from illusion by Bali Maharaja) fell trees blazing in a forest fire. Chips of stone, with sharp edges like picks, also fell and smashed the heads of the demigod soldiers
- From the behavior of great personalities like Prahlada Maharaja and Bali Maharaja we understand that surrendering to the Lord is the right action for an intelligent person
H
- Hanuman, who attained perfection simply by becoming the servant of Lord Rama; Arjuna, who attained perfection simply by being a friend of Krsna's; and Bali Maharaja who attained perfection simply by offering whatever he had in his possession
- He (Bali Maharaja) received the demigods very well, although his commanders and captains were agitated. This kind of treatment was prevalent even during the fight between the Pandavas and the Kurus
- He (Bali Maharaja) thought that since he had been defamed for his inability to fulfill his promise of charity, and since the body belonged to him, he would free himself from defamation by offering his body
- He (Bali Maharaja) was not at all the loser by sacrificing the kingdom of heaven, which he had possessed by his material strength
- He (Bali Maharaja) would not be disturbed by mental or bodily miseries. These are all extraordinary features of the planet Sutala, where Bali Maharaja would live
- He (Bali) decided immediately to reject the advice of Sukracarya and go on with his duty. Thus he gave all his possessions to Lord Vamanadeva
- He (Bali) had no fear of any condition of material existence
- He (Bali) sounded the conchshell given him by his spiritual master, Sukracarya, thus creating a fearful situation for the women protected by Indra
- He (Bali) then sprinkled the water on his head and on the heads of his family members
- Here (in SB 8.22.31) the word mad-asrayah is very significant. Because the Lord wanted to give Bali Maharaja the exalted position of Indra, the demigods might naturally have been envious of him and might have fought to disturb his position
- Here, Bali Maharaja was the seer of the Personality of Godhead's universal body, and that body was that which was seen
I
- I am able to give You an entire island because I am the proprietor of the three divisions of the universe. You have come to take something from me and have pleased me by Your sweet words, but You are asking only three paces of land
- 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?
- I do not fear being deprived of all my possessions, living in hellish life, being arrested for poverty by the ropes of Varuna or being punished by You as much as I fear defamation
- I do not fear hell, poverty, an ocean of distress, falldown from my position or even death itself as much as I fear cheating a brahmana
- I know that even until now, no one taking birth in your family has been poor-minded or miserly. No one has refused to give charity to brahmanas, nor after promising to give charity has anyone failed to fulfill his promise
- If Jadurany wants to paint the picture of Bali Maharaj, it should be like this: 1) The hall must be very nicely decorated, a princely hall, 2) in one side of the hall, the royal throne should be presented as vacant
- If Lord Visnu as He is had come to Bali Maharaja and asked him to do something, Bali Maharaja certainly would not have refused His request
- If this brahmana really is Lord Visnu, 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
- If we simply follow these big, big devotees (Brahma, Siva, Narada, four Kumaras, Kapiladeva, Prahlada Maharaja, Bhisma, Janaka Maharaja, Vyasadeva, Sukadeva Gosvami. Bali Maharaja and Yamaraja), then our life is successful
- In Bhagavad-gita, such a person (like Bali Maharaja) is called sthita-prajna. A pure devotee is never deviated from the service of the Lord, despite all difficulties and impediments offered by the illusory energy
- In His (Krsna's) Vamana incarnation He posed Himself as a dwarf brahmana, but when He took possession of His land, promised by Bali Maharaja, He expanded His footstep to the top of the universe, extending over thousands and millions of miles
- In subduing others, in joking, in responding to danger, in acting for the welfare of others, and so on, one could refuse to fulfill one's promise, and there would be no fault. By this philosophy, Sukracarya tried to dissuade Bali Maharaja from giving land
- In the demon's family also, there is sometimes Prahlada Maharaja, Bali Maharaja. Prahlada and Bali, they are our acaryas. There are twelve bona fide acaryas. Balir vaiyasakir vayam
- In the eighth manvantara, the greatly powerful Personality of Godhead Sarvabhauma will take birth. His father will be Devaguhya, and His mother will be Sarasvati. He will take the kingdom away from Purandara(Lord Indra) and give it to Bali Maharaja
- 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
- In the period of the eighth Manu, among the demigods will be the Sutapas, the Virajas and the Amrtaprabhas. The king of the demigods, Indra, will be Bali Maharaja, the son of Virocana
- Isavasyam idam samam yat kinca jagatyam jagat. Bali Maharaja was undoubtedly the most exalted devotee, whereas previously he had maintained a misunderstanding due to false prestige
- It is our duty to kill this Vamanadeva, Lord Visnu. It is our religious principle and the way to serve our master. After making this decision, the demoniac followers of Maharaja Bali took up their various weapons with a view to killing Vamanadeva
- It is said that God is good, and this is a fact. Whether He cheats or rewards, He is always good. Bali Maharaja therefore addressed Him as Uttamasloka
- It is significant that Bali Maharaja is here (in SB 8.11.48) said to be very experienced. Although defeated, he was not at all sorry, for he knew that nothing can take place without the sanction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- It might be argued that since Bali Maharaja had now left the scene, how could his faults be judged
- It was certainly with pretension that I spoke about religious principles, but he did not give up religious principles, for he is true to his word
- It was in your dynasty that Hiranyaksa was born. Carrying only his own club, he wandered the globe alone, without assistance, to conquer all directions, and no hero he met could rival him
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- Kindly inform me. What is the cause for Bali Maharaja's strength, endeavor, influence and victory? How has he become so enthusiastic?
- King Bali had one hundred sons, and the eldest of all of them was Banasura
- King Bali was feeling such transcendental pleasure that he repeatedly grasped the Lords’ lotus feet and kept them on his chest, and sometimes he put them on the top of his head
- King Indra, Maharaja Bali and the other demigods and demons became fatigued because of conveying the great mountain for a long distance. Being unable to carry the mountain, they left it on the way
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- Lord Brahma said: O well-wisher and master of all living entities, O worshipable Deity of all the demigods, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, now this man has been sufficiently punished, for You have taken everything. Now You can release him
- Lord Brahma, Bhagavan Narada, Lord Siva, the four Kumaras, Lord Kapila (the son of Devahuti), Svayambhuva Manu, Prahlada Maharaja, Janaka Maharaja, Grandfather Bhisma, Bali Maharaja, Sukadeva Gosvami and I myself know the real religious principle
- Lord Siva is one of the twelve great authorities mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam (SB 6.3.20). These authorities are Svayambhu, Narada, Sambhu, Kumara, Kapila, Manu, Prahlada, Janaka, Bhisma, Bali, Vaiyasaki, or Sukadeva Gosvami, and Yamaraja
- Lord Siva, the best of demigods, who carries on his forehead the emblem of the moon, receives on his head with great devotion the Ganges water emanating from the toe of Visnu. Being aware of religious principles, Bali Maharaja knew this
- Lord Vamanadeva continued: O King of the demons, after Lord Visnu made this decision, He entered the body of His enemy Hiranyakasipu, who was running after Him with great force
- Lord Visnu in the dress of a brahmana appeared as a beggar before Bali and snatched away all of his opulence and his kingdom. He did this for the benefit of Indra, who, having been defeated by Bali Maharaja, was bereft of his kingdom
- Lord Visnu informed Sukracarya that there was no need for Bali Maharaja's presence, for his faults and discrepancies could be nullified if judged before the brahmanas
- Lord Visnu once approached Bali Maharaja while the King was performing a sacrifice. The Lord appeared before him as Trivikrama, or Vamana, and begged alms from the King in the form of three steps of land
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- Maharaj Bali once told his priest, Sukracarya, "As far as this brahmana dwarf (the incarnation Vamanadeva) is concerned, if He is Lord Visnu, a simple brahmana, or even my enemy, I have decided to give to Him in charity all the land He has asked for"
- Maharaj Bali once told his priest, Sukracarya, "My dear sage, you are fully expert in knowledge of the Vedas, and as such you worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, by Vedic rituals"
- Maharaja Bali also later became a mahajana. One mahajana follows another mahajana, and by following the parampara system of mahajana activities one can become advanced in spiritual consciousness
- Maharaja Bali attacked Indra with ten arrows and attacked Airavata, Indra's carrier elephant, with three arrows. With four arrows he attacked the four horsemen guarding Airavata's legs, and with one arrow he attacked the driver of the elephant
- Maharaja Bali fought with Indra, Karttikeya with Taraka, Varuna with Heti, and Mitra with Praheti
- Maharaja Bali, a most celebrated king of the demons, knew very well when to make peace and when to fight
- Maharaja Pariksit inquired: The SPG is the proprietor of everything. Why did He beg three paces of land from Bali Maharaja like a poor man, and when He got the gift for which He had begged, why did He nonetheless arrest Bali Maharaja?
- Maharaja Virocana, Bali's father, was so pleased with the brahmana community that even though he knew that those approaching him for charity were the demigods in the dress of brahmanas, he nonetheless agreed to give it
- My dear King, Bali Maharaja donated all his possessions to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vamanadeva, but one should certainly not conclude that he achieved his great worldly opulence in bila-svarga as a result of his charitable disposition
- My dear King, on the heart of Lord Murari he saw religion; 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 & all sound vibrations
- My grandfather Prahlada Maharaja is famous, being recognized by all Your devotees. Although harassed in many ways by his father, Hiranyakasipu, he still remained faithful, taking shelter at Your lotus feet
- My grandfather, the best of all men, who achieved unlimited knowledge and was worshipable for everyone, was afraid of the common men in this world
- My lord, our old enemy Bali Maharaja now has new enthusiasm, and he has obtained such astonishing power that we think that perhaps we cannot resist his prowess
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- Neither you nor your men can conquer the most powerful Bali. Indeed, no one but the SPG can conquer him, for he is now equipped with the supreme spiritual power (brahma-tejas). As no one can stand before Yamaraja no one can now stand before Bali Maharaja
- No one anywhere can counteract this military arrangement of Bali's. It now appears that Bali is trying to drink up the entire universe with his mouth, lick up the ten directions with his tongue, and raise fire in every direction with his eyes
- Now let me (Sukadeva Gosvami) describe the sons of Diti, who were begotten by Kasyapa but who became demons. In this demoniac family the great devotee Prahlada Maharaja appeared, and Bali Maharaja also appeared in that family
- Now Sukracarya has advised Bali Maharaja to deny the promise to Vamanadeva
O
- O Bali Maharaja (Indrasena), now you may go to the planet Sutala, which is desired even by the demigods. Live there peacefully, surrounded by your friends and relatives. All good fortune unto you
- O best of the brahmanas, Sukracarya, please describe the fault or discrepancy in your disciple Bali Maharaja, who engaged in performing sacrifices. This fault will be nullified when judged in the presence of qualified brahmanas
- O best PG, most worshipable for all the demigods, if You think that my promise has become false, I shall certainly rectify matters to make it truthful. I cannot allow my promise to be false. Please, therefore, place Your third lotus footstep on my head
- O great hero, I shall always be with you and give you protection in all respects along with your associates and paraphernalia. Moreover, you will always be able to see Me there
- O King Bali, never in your dynasty has the low-minded King been born who upon being requested has refused charity to brahmanas in holy places or a fight to ksatriyas on a battlefield
- O King of the demons, you have promised to give Me three steps of land, but I have occupied the entire universe with two steps. Now think about where I should put My third
- O King Pariksit, thus having taken all the land of Bali Maharaja by begging, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vamanadeva, delivered to His brother Indra all the land taken away by Indra's enemy
- O King, because of Vamanadeva's bright effulgence, the priests, along with Bali Maharaja and all the members of the assembly, were robbed of their splendor
- O King, controller of the entire universe, although you are very munificent and are able to give Me as much land as I want, I do not want anything from you that is unnecessary
- O King, from you, the best of those who give charity, I ask only three paces of land. By such a gift I shall be very pleased, for the way of happiness is to be fully satisfied to receive that which is absolutely needed
- O King, the demons, aggravated by their usual anger, took their lances and tridents in hand, and against the will of Bali Maharaja they pushed forward to kill Lord Vamanadeva
- O King, the SPG, Vamanadeva, then spoke to Bali Maharaja, the most liberal and celebrated personality whom He had arrested with the ropes of Varuna. Bali Maharaja had lost all bodily luster, but he was nonetheless fixed in his determination
- 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, all of these caused lamentation within their hearts
- O small boy, one who approaches me to beg something should not have to ask anything more, anywhere. Therefore, if You wish, You may ask from me as much land as will suffice to maintain You according to Your needs
- O son of a brahmana, it appears that You have come here to ask me for something. Therefore, whatever You want You may take from me. O best of those who are worshipable
- O son of a brahmana, today the fire of sacrifice is ablaze according to the injunction of the sastra, and I have been freed from all the sinful reactions of my life by the water that has washed Your lotus feet
- O Vipracitti, O Rahu, O Nemi, please hear my words! Don't fight. Stop immediately, for the present time is not in our favor
- Of these possessions, with one step I have occupied Bhurloka, and with My body I have occupied the entire sky and all directions. And in your presence, with My second step, I have occupied the upper planetary system
- On the heart of Lord Murari Bali Maharaja saw religion
- On the planet Sutala, not even the predominating deities of other planets, what to speak of ordinary people, will be able to conquer you (Bali maharaja). As far as the demons are concerned, if they transgress your rule, My (Vamana's) disc will kill them
- On the pretense of asking for a measurement of three footsteps of land, He (Lord Vamana) took away all the lands of Bali Maharaja. He asked simply because without begging, no authority can take one's rightful possession
- One by one, Bali Maharaja used a lance, prasa, tomara, rstis and other weapons, but whatever weapons he took up, Indra immediately cut them to pieces
- One might argue that since you (Bali) have already promised, how can you refuse? O best of the demons, just take from me (Sukracarya) the evidence of the Bahvrca-sruti, which says that a promise is truthful preceded by the word om and untruthful if not
- One might argue, "Since Bali Maharaja promised Vamanadeva only the land occupied by His steps, why did Lord Vamanadeva occupy the sky also?"
- One must follow in the footsteps of great authorities like Brahma, Siva, Narada, Manu, the Kumaras, Kapila, Prahlada, Bhisma, Sukadeva Gosvami, Yamaraja, Janaka, and Bali Maharaja
- One must follow in the footsteps of such great personalities as Lord Brahma, Narada, Lord Siva, Kapila, Manu, the Kumaras, Prahlada Maharaja, Bhisma, Janaka, Bali Maharaja, Sukadeva Gosvami and Yamaraja
- Only by providence have I been forcibly brought under Your lotus feet and deprived of all my opulence
- Ordinarily there are twelve great devotees of the Lord, namely Brahma, Narada, Siva, Kumara, Kapila, Manu, Prahlada, Bhisma, Janaka, Sukadeva Gosvami, Bali Maharaja and Yamaraja
- Our lord, Bali Maharaja, because of his position in performing the yajna, has given up the power to punish. Taking advantage of this, our eternal enemy, Visnu, dressed in the form of a brahmacari beggar, has taken away all his possessions
- Our lord, Bali Maharaja, is always fixed in truthfulness, and this is especially so at present, since he has been initiated into performing a sacrifice. He is always kind and merciful toward the brahmanas, and he cannot at any time speak lies
- Out of the twelve authorities, first is Lord Brahma; the next, Narada; the next, Lord Siva; then next, the Kumaras; then Kapiladeva; then Manu, Vaivasvata Manu; then Prahlada Maharaja; then Janaka Maharaja; then Bhismadeva; then Bali Maharaja
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- People in general, who live under material conditions, facing accidental death at every moment, do not understand that this life is temporary, because of the illusion created by temporary opulence. Only by providence have I been saved from that condition
- People may be surprised that devotees like Prahlada Maharaja and Bali Maharaja could seek shelter of the side of the enemy, giving up the natural affinity for family, hearth and home
- Prahlada Maharaja and Bali Maharaja, were born of demoniac families. Prahlada Maharaja's father was a demon, and Bali Maharaja was the grandson of Prahlada Maharaja, but still they have become famous because of their association with the Lord
- Prahlada Maharaja had four sons, and the eldest son, Virocana, is the father of Bali Maharaja
- Prahlada Maharaja is a vivid example of a pure devotee. Someone might argue that since Prahlada Maharaja, even though very old, was attached to his family, and specifically to his grandson Bali Maharaja, how could he be an ideal example?
- Prahlada Maharaja said: My Lord, it is Your Lordship who gave this Bali the very great opulence of the post of heavenly king, and now, today, it is You who have taken it all away. I think You have acted with equal beauty in both ways
- Prahlada Maharaja took shelter of Visnu against the will of his father. Similarly, Bali Maharaja took shelter of Vamanadeva against the will of his spiritual master, Sukracarya, and all the leading demons
- Prahlada's son was known as Virocana, and his grandson was known as Bali Maharaja. Bali Maharaja had one hundred sons, of whom Bana was the eldest
- Prahlado janako bhismo balir, Maharaja Bali, a king. He was a grandson of this Prahlada Maharaja. He became mahajana. All these persons, they became authorities by their exemplary character for advancing in Krsna consciousness
S
- Seated in this airplane under a beautiful protective umbrella and being fanned by the best of camaras, Maharaja Bali, surrounded by his captains and commanders, appeared just like the moon rising in the evening, illuminating all directions
- Seeing Bali Maharaja's indefatigable endeavor and understanding his motive, King Indra, along with the other demigods, approached his spiritual master, Brhaspati, and spoke as follows
- Since he (Bali Maharaja) was a devotee, he accepted his defeat without lamentation. As stated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead in Bhagavad-gita (BG 2.47), karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kadacana
- Since he (Visvakarma) was engaged to construct the residential quarters of Bali Maharaja, the buildings and palaces on the planet Sutala must at least equal those on the heavenly planets
- Since Maharaja Bali's rebukes were truthful, King Indra did not at all become sorry, just as an elephant beaten by its driver's rod does not become agitated
- Since the Lord had covered the entire universe with two steps, one might ask how Bali Maharaja's head could be sufficient for His third step? Bali Maharaja, however, thought that the possessor of wealth must be greater than the possession
- Sober and tolerant and well equipped with paraphernalia for fighting, Bali Maharaja moved before Indra on the great battlefield. King Indra, who always carries the thunderbolt in his hand, rebuked Bali Maharaja as follows
- Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: O King Pariksit, when Bali Maharaja was thus advised by his spiritual master, Sukracarya, his family priest, he remained silent for some time, and then, after full deliberation, he replied to his spiritual master as follows
- Srila Sukadeva Gosvami said: Accompanied by Bali Maharaja, my dear King Pariksit, Prahlada Maharaja, the master of all the chiefs of the demons, took the Supreme Lord's order on his head with folded hands
- Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura remarks that Bali Maharaja remained silent at a critical point. How could he disobey the instruction of Sukracarya, his spiritual master?
- Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that Bali Maharaja was not pandita-mani, or one who falsely assumes himself learned; rather, he was pandita-manya-jnah, one who is so learned that all other learned persons worship him
- Srimad-Bhagavatam (SB 6.3.20) states that there are twelve mahajanas: Brahma, Narada, Sambhu, the four Kumaras, Kapila, Manu, Prahlada, Janaka, Bhisma, Bali, Sukadeva and Yamaraja
- Srimati Vindhyavali said: O my Lord, You have created the entire universe for the enjoyment of Your personal pastimes, but foolish, unintelligent men have claimed proprietorship for material enjoyment. Certainly they are shameless agnostics
- Sukadeva Gosvami continued: After speaking in this way, Bali Maharaja offered his obeisances first to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, and then to Lord Brahma and Lord Siva
- Sukadeva Gosvami continued: Even after being cursed in this way by his own spiritual master, Bali Maharaja, being a great personality, never deviated from his determination
- Sukadeva Gosvami continued: In this way, the most powerful Sukracarya accepted the order of the SPG with full respect. Along with the best brahmanas, he began to compensate for the discrepancies in the sacrifices performed by Bali Maharaja
- Sukadeva Gosvami continued: O King, in accordance with the order of their master, Bali Maharaja, all the chiefs of the demons and the Daityas entered the lower regions of the universe, to which they were driven by the soldiers of Visnu
- Sukadeva Gosvami continued: When the Supreme Personality of Godhead had thus spoken to Bali Maharaja, Bali smiled and told Him, "All right. Take whatever You like." To confirm his promise to give Vamanadeva the desired land, he then took up his waterpot
- Sukadeva Gosvami continued: When the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vamanadeva, heard Bali Maharaja speaking in this pleasing way, He was very satisfied, for Bali Maharaja had spoken in terms of religious principles. Thus the Lord began to praise him
- Sukadeva Gosvami said: Lord Visnu, the enjoyer of all sacrifices, appeared as Vamanadeva in the sacrificial arena of Bali Maharaja. Then He extended His left foot to the end of the universe and pierced a hole in its covering with the nail of His big toe
- Sukadeva Gosvami said: O best of the Kurus, while Bali Maharaja was describing his fortunate position in this way, the most dear devotee of the Lord, Prahlada Maharaja, appeared there, like the moon rising in the nighttime
- Sukadeva Gosvami said: O King, although the SPG was superficially seen to have acted mischievously toward Bali Maharaja, Bali Maharaja was fixed in his determination. Considering himself not to have fulfilled his promise, he spoke as follows
- Sukadeva Gosvami said: O King, when Bali Maharaja lost all his opulence and died in the fight, Sukracarya, a descendant of Bhrgu Muni, brought him back to life
- Sukadeva Gosvami said: When the supreme, ancient, eternal PG had thus spoken to Bali Maharaja, who is universally accepted as a pure devotee of the Lord and therefore a great soul, Bali Maharaja, his eyes filled with tears, responded as follows
- Sukadeva Gosvami tells Maharaja Pariksit that after surrendering everything unto the lotus feet of Vamanadeva, Bali Maharaja immediately caught hold of the lotus feet of the Lord and pressed them to his heart
- Sukadeva narrated: "My dear King, you must have heard the name of King Bali. He was a great devotee who gave away in charity all that he had - namely, the whole world - to Lord Vamana, the incarnation of Visnu as a dwarf brahmana"
- Sukracarya accepted the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead with full respect. Along with the best brahmanas, he began to compensate for the discrepancies in the sacrifices performed by Bali Maharaja
- Sukracarya wanted to tell Bali Maharaja how he would be cheated by Lord Vamana. "You have promised three steps," he said. "But with only two steps, all your possessions will be finished. How then will you give Him a place for His third step"
- Sukracarya was not a pure devotee, he was more or less inclined to fruitive activity, and he objected when Bali Maharaja promised to give everything to Lord Visnu
- Sukracarya was rejected by Bali Maharaja, Sukracarya. - No, this family guru, or the jata-gosai, no. Real guru
- Surrounding Maharaja Bali on all sides were the commanders and captains of the demons, sitting on their respective chariots
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- Tears of love and affection began to flow from his (Bali) eyes, and all his bodily hairs stood on end
- The 12 mahajanas, or great souls are: (1) Brahma, (2) Siva, (3) Narada, (4) Vaivasvata Manu, (5) Kapila (not the atheist, but the original Kapila), (6) the Kumaras, (7) Prahlada, (8) Bhisma, (9) Janaka, (10) Bali, (11) Sukadeva Gosvami and (12) Yamaraja
- The beauty of the Lord is that the devotees who are connected with His activities are also glorified. Arjuna, Prahlada, Janaka Maharaja, Bali Maharaja and many other devotees were not even in the renounced order of life, but were householders
- The best examples of atma-nivedanam are found in Bali Maharaja and Ambarisa Maharaja. Atma-nivedanam is also sometimes found in the behavior of Rukminidevi at Dvaraka
- The body actually does not belong to the living entity; it belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Under the circumstances, how could Bali Maharaja claim that the body belonged to him
- The brahmana descendants of Bhrgu decided that although Bali was situated on the throne of Indra, he would not be able to stay there unless he performed such sacrifices. Therefore they advised Bali to perform at least as many asvamedha-yajnas as Indra
- The brahmana descendants of Bhrgu Muni were very pleased with Bali Maharaja, who desired to conquer the kingdom of Indra. Therefore, after purifying him and properly bathing him according to regulative principles, they engaged him in performing the yajna
- The brother of Tamasa Manu was the fifth Manu, named Raivata. His sons were headed by Arjuna, Bali and Vindhya
- The causeless mercy You have shown to me, a fallen demon, was never achieved even by the demigods or the leaders of the various planets
- The demigod Aparajita fought with Namuci, and the two Asvini-kumara brothers fought with Vrsaparva. The sun-god fought with the one hundred sons of Maharaja Bali, headed by Bana, and the moon-god fought with Rahu
- The demigods approached Bali Maharaja, the son of Virocana, and sat down near him. Bali Maharaja was protected by the commanders of the demons and was most opulent, having conquered all the universes
- The demigods went to Bali Maharaja with the proposal to manufacture nectar, and the Daityas, the demons, immediately accepted it, thinking that since the demigods were already weak
- The difference between the behavior of Bali Maharaja and that of his spiritual master, Sukracarya, was that Bali Maharaja had already developed love of Godhead, whereas Sukracarya, being merely a priest of routine rituals, had not
- The four sons of Usinara were Sibi, Vara, Krmi and Daksa, and from Sibi again came four sons, named Vrsadarbha, Sudhira, Madra and Kekaya. The son of Titiksu was Rusadratha. From Rusadratha came Homa; from Homa, Sutapa; and from Sutapa, Bali
- The Gandharvas, the Kimpurusas and the Kinnaras sounded thousands and 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!"
- The great soul Bali Maharaja became a disciple of Sukracarya and began to serve him with great faith, offering everything he had
- The great soul Bali Maharaja, thinking himself very satisfied, became very opulent and prosperous and began to enjoy the kingdom because of the favor of the brahmanas
- The kingdom of heaven, which he (Bali Maharaja) achieved by dint of his material power, was considered most insignificant in comparison with the kingdom of God.
- The Lord bestows special favor upon His devotee by taking away all his material opulences. Bali Maharaja appreciated this behavior by the Lord
- The Lord continued: Because of his great tolerance, I have given him a place not obtainable even by the demigods. He will become King of the heavenly planets during the period of the Manu known as Savarni
- The Lord is so merciful that although Bali Maharaja did not actually offer obeisances but only endeavored to do so within his mind, the Supreme Personality of Godhead blessed him with more mercy than even the demigods could ever expect
- The Lord personally appeared to Bali Maharaja to take away everything he had, and thus he was so fortunate that he could see the Lord face to face
- The Lord's purpose was to cheat him, Bali Maharaja took pleasure in understanding how the Lord will cheat His devotee to glorify the devotee's position
- The mahajanas, or great personalities, are Brahma, Lord Siva, Narada Muni, Manu, the Kumaras, Prahlada Maharaja, Bali Maharaja, Yamaraja, Bhisma, Janaka, Sukadeva Gosvami and Kapila Muni
- The Personality of Godhead said: O my dear King, even the entirety of whatever there may be within the three worlds to satisfy one's senses cannot satisfy a person whose senses are uncontrolled
- The potencies of the Lord are also known to Bali, Amurttaraya, Dilipa, Saubhari, Utanka, Sibi, Devala, Pippalada, Sarasvata, Uddhava, Parasara, Bhurisena, Vibhisana, Hanuman, Sukadeva Gosvami, Arjuna, Arstisena, Vidura, Srutadeva, etc
- The principles of religion are known to these 12 personalities - Lord Brahma; the great saint Narada; Siva; 4 Kumaras; Kapila, the son of Devahuti; Svayambhuva Manu; Prahlada; King Janaka; grandfather Bhisma; Bali Maharaja; Sukadeva Gosvami; & Yamaraja
- The proposals submitted by King Indra were immediately accepted by Bali Maharaja and his assistants, headed by Sambara and Aristanemi, and by all the other residents of Tripura
- The rule is that you should go down to live in the hellish planets, because you have been unable to give charity according to your promise. Therefore, in accordance with the order of Sukracarya, your spiritual master, now go down and live there
- The SPG did not award His mercy to Bali Maharaja by giving him material happiness and opulence, for these make one forget loving service to the Lord. The result of material opulence is that one can no longer absorb his mind in the SPG
- The SPG said: O King, you are indeed exalted because your present advisors are the brahmanas who are descendants of Bhrgu and because your instructor for your future life is your grandfather, the peaceful and venerable Prahlada Maharaja
- The spiritual master, Sukracarya, being inspired by the SL, 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
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead did not ask Bali Maharaja to separate from his family; instead, the Lord allowed him to stay with his family members - jnatibhih parivaritah
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead promised to protect Bali Maharaja and his associates from all dangers, He is addressed here (in SB 8.23.6) as durga-pala, the Lord who gives protection from all miserable conditions
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead sometimes puts a devotee to severe tests that are almost unbearable. One could hardly even live under the conditions forced upon Bali Maharaja
- The symptom of ecstatic affection with reverence felt by Bali Maharaja was expressed as follows: "My dear Lord, You have simultaneously punished me and showed me Your causeless mercy
- The twelve authorities are Brahma, Narada, Lord Siva, Manu, Kapila, Prahlada, Janaka, Bhisma, Sukadeva Gosvami, Bali, Yamaraja and the Kumaras. These personalities are still remembered because they were all great stalwart devotees of the Lord
- The wife of Anuhlada was named Surya. She gave birth to two sons, named Baskala and Mahisa. Prahlada had one son, Virocana, whose wife gave birth to Bali Maharaja
- The word ayajayan indicates that all the brahmanas induced Bali Maharaja to perform such sacrifices
- Then he (Indra) remembered great devotees like Prahlada Maharaja and Bali Maharaja, who had been born in the families of demons, and thus he came to his senses
- Then Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, after offering their respectful obeisances to the Lord, returned to their abodes. All the demigods then approached Maharaja Bali
- There are twelve authorities mentioned in the sastras. Brahma is one authority, Lord Siva is one authority, and Narada is one authority. Then Manu is one authority, Prahlada Maharaja is authority, Bali Maharaja is authority, Sukadeva Gosvami is authority
- Thereafter, Bali Maharaja begot one hundred sons in the womb of Asana. Of these one hundred sons, King Bana was the eldest. The activities of Bali Maharaja, which are very laudable, will be described later (in the Eighth Canto)
- Thereafter, on the day of soma-pana, after the sacrifice was finished, Garuda, king of the birds, understanding the desire of his master, arrested Bali Maharaja with the ropes of Varuna
- This Bali Maharaja, without duplicity, has now offered everything in the three worlds. How then can he deserve to suffer from arrest?
- This child (Pariksit) will be like Bali Maharaja in patience, a staunch devotee of Lord Krsna like Prahlada Maharaja, a performer of many Asvamedha (horse) sacrifices and a follower of the old and experienced men
- This great hero Banasura, born of Maharaja Bali, was a great devotee of Lord Siva and was always ready to render service unto him. Because of his devotion, Banasura achieved a great position in society, and he was honored in every respect
- This is Prahlada Maharaja. He is one of the authorities of Krsna consciousness. There are twelve authorities mentioned in the sastras: svayambhur naradah sambhuh kumarah kapilo manuh prahlado janako bhismo balir vaiyasakir vayam
- This person falsely appearing as a brahmacari is actually the SPG, Hari, who has come in this form to take away all your land, wealth, beauty, power, fame and education. After taking everything from you, He will deliver it to Indra, your enemy
- Those really learned leaders of society like Brahma, Siva, Kapila, the Kumaras, Manu, Vyasa, Devala, Asita, Janaka, Prahlada & Bali, who are faithful philosophers, politicians, educators, scientists, etc.-surrender to the lotus feet of the God. BG 1972 p
- Those who attained the comforts of a material civilization should try to attain the kingdom of God by following in the footsteps of Bali Maharaja, who exchanged his acquired material strength
- Thus Bali Maharaja could never be bereft of all opulences. The opulences offered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead are not to be compared to the opulences obtained by karma-kanda
- Thus Bali Maharaja is understood to be one who received the highest perfection of devotional service by special mercy
- Thus he was released from the bondage of the naga-pasa (the ropes of Varuna), and in full satisfaction he entered the planet known as Sutala
- Thus offering a proper reception to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is always beautiful to the liberated souls, Bali Maharaja worshiped Him by washing His lotus feet
- Thus only his body was left, but the Lord was still not satisfied. He arrested Bali Maharaja, bound him with the ropes of Varuna and threw him in a cave in a mountain
- Thus the real meaning of the words "lie down" is that Lord Visnu would reside within the core of Bali Maharaja's heart
- To enjoy a little humor between Himself and His devotee, the Lord covered Himself as a brahmana-brahmacari and thus came to Bali Maharaja to beg for only three feet of land
- Today, with my thunderbolt, which has hundreds of sharp edges, I, the same powerful person, shall sever your head from your body
U
- Under the circumstances, because He has assumed the form of a brahmana, even if He irreligiously arrests me or even kills me, I shall not retaliate, although He is my enemy
- Understanding Lord Visnu's purpose, Sukracarya, the best of the learned, immediately spoke as follows to his disciple, who was about to offer everything to Lord Vamanadeva
- Until Bali Maharaja achieves the position of King of heaven, he shall live on the planet Sutala, which was made by Visvakarma according to My order
V
- Vairocani, Bali, received the mercy of Prahlada, and by Prahlada's mercy he also received the mercy of Lord Visnu, who appeared before him as a brahmacari beggar. Thus Bali became a krpa-siddha because of the special mercy of both guru and Krsna
- Vamanadeva asked Bali Maharaja to go to the hellish planets, apparently just to show the entire universe how tolerant he was, and Bali Maharaja did not hesitate to carry out the order
- Vamanadeva said: "O King of the Daityas (Bali Maharaja), from Your Majesty, who come from such a noble family and who are able to give charity munificently, I ask only three paces of land, to the measurement of My steps"
- Vamanadeva will first occupy the three worlds with one step, then He will take His second step and occupy everything in outer space, and then He will expand His universal body to occupy everything. Where will you offer Him the third step?
- Vamanadeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, had come to Bali Maharaja for alms. How could one get such an opportunity to give charity? Therefore, Bali Maharaja decided without hesitation to give the Lord whatever He wanted
- Vindhyavali, Bali Maharaja's intelligent wife, prayed that her husband be released, by the Lord's causeless mercy
W
- We have already discussed this (bringing a dead body back to life) in connection with Bali Maharaja's soldiers and their treatment by Sukracarya
- When Bali Maharaja acted with unflinching faith and devotion unto the lotus feet of Lord Visnu, this was very much appreciated by all the residents of the higher planetary system
- When Bali Maharaja and Prahlada Maharaja had departed for the planet Sutala, Lord Visnu asked Sukracarya what the fault was in Bali Maharaja for which Sukracarya had cursed him
- When Bali Maharaja performed these sacrifices, he gained a great reputation in all directions, throughout the three worlds. Thus he shone in his position, like the brilliant moon in the sky
- When Bali Maharaja saw that his own soldiers were being killed by the associates of Lord Visnu, he remembered the curse of Sukracarya and forbade his soldiers to continue fighting
- When Bali Maharaja saw the expert military activities of Indra, he could not restrain his anger. Thus he took up another weapon, known as sakti, which blazed like a great firebrand. But Indra cut that weapon to pieces while it was still in Bali's hand
- When Bali Maharaja was asked by Lord Vamana for such small charity, Bali Maharaja's spiritual master, namely Sukracarya, objected to this proposal because he knew that Vamanadeva was Visnu Himself, pretending to be a beggar
- When Bali Maharaja was thus arrested by Lord Visnu, who is the most powerful, there was a great roar of lamentation in all directions throughout the upper and lower planetary systems of the universe
- When Brhaspati predicted that Bali Maharaja would be vanquished when he insulted the brahmanas by whose grace he had become so powerful, Bali Maharaja's enemies (demigods) were naturally anxious to know when that opportune moment would come
- When enemies come to their opponent's place, they should be received in such a way that they will forget that there is animosity between the two parties. Bali Maharaja was well conversant with the arts of peacemaking and fighting
- When he (Bali Maharaja) assembled with his own soldiers and the demon chiefs, who were equal to him in strength, opulence and beauty, they appeared as if they would swallow the sky and burn all directions with their vision
- When he (Bali Maharaja) sat down on the seat of the chariot, his arms decorated with golden bangles and his ears with sapphire earrings, he shone like a worshipable fire
- When Indra, the defeater of enemies, released his infallible thunderbolt scepter at Bali Maharaja with a desire to kill him, Bali Maharaja indeed fell to the ground with his airplane, like a mountain with its wings cut off
- When Lord Brahma saw that Prahlada Maharaja and Vindhyavali had already approached the Lord to ask mercy for Bali Maharaja, he joined them and recommended Bali Maharaja's release on the grounds of worldly calculations
- When Maharaja Bali actually gave the land, Vamanadeva exhibited His all-powerful position by covering the three worlds with three steps
- When Maharaja Bali had thus performed the special ritualistic ceremony advised by the brahmanas and had received, by their grace, the equipment for fighting, he circumambulated the brahmanas and offered them obeisances
- When one is bereft of all his possessions, he is certainly reduced in bodily luster. But although Bali Maharaja had lost everything, he was fixed in his determination to satisfy Vamanadeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- When Prahlada Maharaja heard how Bali Maharaja, his grandson and descendant, had been released from bondage and had achieved the benediction of the Lord, he spoke as follows in a tone of greatly ecstatic devotion
- When Ravana, the powerful demon, came to gain victory over Bali Maharaja, Vamanadeva kicked him a distance of eighty thousand miles with His big toe. I shall explain the character and activities of Bali Maharaja later
- When Sukracarya saw that Bali Maharaja had risked all of his possessions, he understood that this would cause havoc not only to the King but also to the family of Sukracarya, who was dependent on Maharaja Bali's mercy
- When the demigods had disappeared, Bali Maharaja, the son of Virocana, entered the heavenly kingdom, and from there he brought the three worlds under his control
- When the demon Jambhasura saw that his friend Bali had fallen, he appeared before Indra, the enemy, just to serve Bali Maharaja with friendly behavior
- When the demoniac followers of Maharaja Bali saw that their master, who had been determined in performing sacrifice, had lost all his possessions to Vamanadeva, who had taken them away on the plea of begging three paces of land, they were very angry
- When the most powerful Indra became angry and took his thunderbolt in hand to kill Maharaja Bali, the demons began lamenting - Alas, alas
- When the Supreme Personality of Godhead could see no other means of taking everything away from Bali Maharaja, He adopted the trick of begging from him and took away all the three worlds
- When Vamanadeva appeared before Bali Maharaja, Bali Maharaja immediately wanted to offer Him respectful obeisances, but he was unable to do so because of the presence of Sukracarya and other demoniac associates
- Whether that same Lord Visnu 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
- With great affection, the Personality of Godhead bound Bali and then installed him in the kingdom of Sutala, which is more opulent than the heavenly planets. Maharaja Bali now resides on that planet and is more comfortably situated than Indra
Y
- You also have observed the principles followed by great personalities who are householder brahmanas, by your forefathers and by great heroes who are extremely famous for their exalted activities
- You do not know what a dangerous position you have accepted by promising to give Him land. I do not think that this promise is good for you. It will bring great harm to the demons
- You have done him a very merciful favor by taking away all his opulence, because his exalted position as King of heaven was putting him in the darkness of ignorance
- You have promised to give Him three steps of land in charity, but when you give it He will occupy the three worlds. You are a rascal! You do not know what a great mistake you have made
- You may take from me a cow, gold, a furnished house, palatable food and drink, the daughter of a brahmana for Your wife, prosperous villages, horses, elephants, chariots or whatever You desire
- You will certainly be unable to fulfill your promise, and I think that because of this inability your eternal residence will be in hell
- Your father, Virocana, the son of Maharaja Prahlada, was very affectionate toward brahmanas. Although he knew very well that it was the demigods who had come to him in the dress of brahmanas, at their request he delivered to them the duration of his life
- Your Lordship can perform one work to serve many purposes, and consequently, although You have punished me in many ways, I do not feel ashamed of having been arrested by the ropes of Varuna, nor do I feel aggrieved
- Your Lordship, he (Bali Maharaja) said, You are (God is) always praised with the best of selected verses
- Your materialistic ideas and anxieties that have arisen from your association with the demons and Danavas will immediately be vanquished because there you will see My supreme prowess
- Your statements are very true, and they completely agree with religious etiquette. They are in keeping with the behavior of your family, and they enhance your reputation