Srimad Bhagavatam. Canto 8: Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations

Chapter 15: Bali Maharaja Conquers the Heavenly Planets. Text 1-2

श्रीराजोवाच
बलेः पदत्रयं भूमेः कस्माद्धरिरयाचत ।
भूतेश्वरः कृपणवल्लब्धार्थोऽपि बबन्ध तम् ॥१॥
एतद् वेदितुमिच्छामो महत् कौतूहलं हि नः ।
यज्ञेश्वरस्य पूर्णस्य बन्धनं चाप्यनागसः ॥२॥

Å›rÄ«-rÄjovÄca
baleḥ pada-trayaṠbhūmeḥ
kasmÄd dharir ayÄcata
bhūteśvaraḥ kṛpaṇa-val
labdhÄrtho 'pi babandha tam
etad veditum icchÄmo
mahat kautūhalaṠhi naḥ
yÄcñeÅ›varasya pÅ«rṇasya
bandhanaá¹ cÄpy anÄgasaḥ

 Å›rÄ«-rÄjÄ uvÄca - the King said; baleḥ - of Bali MahÄrÄja; pada-trayam - three steps; bhÅ«meḥ - of land; kasmÄt - why; hariḥ - the Supreme Personality of Godhead (in the form of VÄmana); ayÄcata - begged; bhÅ«ta-Ä«Å›varaḥ - the proprietor of all the universe; ká¹›paṇa-vat - like a poor man; labdha-arthaḥ - He got the gift; api - although; babandha - arrested; tam - him (Bali); etat - all this; veditum - to understand; icchÄmaḥ - we desire; mahat - very great; kautÅ«halam - eagerness; hi - indeed; naḥ - our; yÄcÃ±Ä - begging; Ä«Å›varasya - of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pÅ«rṇasya - who is full in everything; bandhanam - arresting; ca - also; api - although; anÄgasaḥ - of he who was faultless.


Text

MahÄrÄja ParÄ«ká¹£it inquired: The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the proprietor of everything. Why did He beg three paces of land from Bali MahÄrÄja like a poor man, and when He got the gift for which He had begged, why did He nonetheless arrest Bali MahÄrÄja? I am very much anxious to know the mystery of these contradictions.

Purport