TEXT 28
drstvarin apy asamyattan
jata-ksobhan sva-nayakan
nyasedhad daitya-rat slokyah
sandhi-vigraha-kalavit
SYNONYMS
drstvaobserving; arinthe enemies; apialthough; asamyattanwithout any endeavor to fight; jata-ksobhanwho became agitated; sva-nayakanhis own captains and commanders; nyasedhatprevented; daitya-ratthe Emperor of the Daityas, Maharaja Bali; slokyahvery respectable and prominent; sandhifor making negotiations; vigrahaas well as for fighting; kalathe time; vitcompletely aware of.
TRANSLATION
Maharaja Bali, a most celebrated king of the demons, knew very well when to make peace and when to fight. Thus 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.
PURPORT
Vedic etiquette enjoins: grhe satrum api praptam visvastam akutobhayam. When enemies come to their opponents 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. Thus he 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. During the day, the Pandavas and Kurus would fight with the utmost strength, and when the day was over they would go to each others camps as friends and be received as such. During such friendly meetings, one enemy would offer anything the other enemy wanted. That was the system.

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