King Bali Surrenders Everything

Bali Maharaja understood why the Lord was acting so mischievously, and he said, "Your Lordship, You have disguised Yourself to cheat me, saying You wanted only three steps of land. But now You have expanded Your body and taken my whole kingdom with just two steps. Because You have done this on behalf of Your devotees, the demigods, You do not regard this as cheating. And since You came to beg from me, I will keep my promise to You-I do not want to cheat You. You have taken my wealth, but I still have my body. Therefore, please put Your third step upon my head, for the possessor is even more valuable than what he possesses.

"Only by providence have I been forcibly brought under Your lotus feet and deprived of all my opulence. Because of the illusion created by temporary opulence, people in general, who live under material conditions, facing accidental death at every moment, do not understand that this life is temporary. Only by providence have I been saved from that condition. It is to bring me to the right platform of eternal life that You have put me into these circumstances."

In other words, Bali Maharaja could see that although the Lord was apparently acting as an enemy, He was actually acting for Bali's own best welfare. In this instance the Lord was a better friend to the demon than to the demigods. The demigods worship the Lord for temporary material benefit, and thus they are not pure devotees. But because the Lord took away all his possessions, Bali Maharaja rose to the platform of pure devotion-which is very rare.

Just then Prahlada Maharaja, Bali's illustrious grandfather, a most dear devotee of the Lord, appeared there, like a moon rising in the nighttime. Standing tall and elegant, he was dressed in yellow garments, and his beautiful eyes resembled lotus petals.

"My Lord," said Prahlada Maharaja, "it is Your Lordship alone who gave Bali his heavenly opulence, and now, today, it is You who have taken it all away. Because his exalted position as king of heaven was putting him in the darkness of ignorance, You have done him a very merciful favor. Wealth, women, followers, and prestige are so bewildering that they make even a learned, self-controlled man forget to search for the shelter of Your lotus feet."

Bound tight by the ropes of Varuna, Bali Maharaja could simply bow his head respectfully. His eyes filled with tears of shame.

Then Lord Brahma, the chief demigod in charge of creation, spoke. "My dear Lord Vamana, please consider that those who sincerely offer even a little water, some newly grown grass, or a few flower buds at Your lotus feet achieve the most exalted position in the spiritual world. This Bali Maharaja has now offered You everything that exists within the three worlds, including his own body. How, then, can he deserve to suffer arrest like this?"

Lord Vamanadeva said, "My dear Lord Brahma, in truth Bali Maharaja has satisfied Me greatly. First I took away his kingdom, and then My soldiers defeated him and arrested him with the ropes of Varuna. His spiritual master has cursed him, and his friends and relatives have rejected him. And in spite of all this, he has kept his promise to Me. Therefore not only shall I release him, but I shall also give him a position not attainable even by the demigods themselves. He will again become king of the heavenly planets in a future age. Until that time he will live on a special planet called Sutala, which is hundreds of times more opulent than heaven."

Then, turning to Bali Maharaja, Lord Vamanadeva said, "There you will live peacefully with all your friends and relatives, including your grandfather Prahlada Maharaja, and all good fortune will come to you. O great hero, I shall always be with you and give you protection in all respects."

When the ancient and eternal Supreme Personality of Godhead had spoken, Bali Maharaja-his eyes filled with tears, his hands folded, and his voice faltering in devotional ecstasy-responded by saying, "O my Lord, the causeless mercy You have shown me, a fallen demon, has never been achieved by the pious demigods."

After Lord Vamanadeva had released him from the ropes of Varuna, Bali Maharaja entered the planet Sutala in full satisfaction. Then the Lord returned all the lands He had taken from Bali Maharaja to their original owners-Indra and the demigods. Now that He had fulfilled Aditi's desire, the Supreme Personality of Godhead continued to rule the affairs of the universe, protecting the devotees and reforming the demons, as always.

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