CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Bali Maharaja Conquers
the Heavenly Planets

This chapter describes how Bali, after performing the Visvajit-yajiia,
received the benediction of a chariot and various kinds of paraphernalia
for war, with which he attacked the King of heaven. All the demigods,
being afraid of him, left the heavenly planets and went away, following
the instructions of their guru.

Maharaja Pariksit wanted to understand how Lord Vamanadeva, on
the plea of taking three paces of land from Bali Maharaja, took every-
thing away from him and arrested him. Sukadeva Gosvami responded to
this inquiry with the following explanation. In the fight between the
demons and the demigods, as described in the Eleventh Chapter of this
canto, Bali was defeated, and he died in the fight, but by the grace of
Sukracarya he regained his life. Thus he engaged himself in the service
of Sukracarya, his spiritual master. The descendants of Bhrgu, being
pleased with him, engaged him in the Visvajit-yajiia. When this yajra
was performed, from the fire of yajfia came a chariot, horses, a flag, a
bow, armor and two quivers of arrows. Maharaja Prahlada, Bali
Maharaja’s grandfather, gave Bali an eternal garland of flowers, and
Sukracarya gave him a conchshell. Bali Maharaja, after offering obei-
sances to Prahlada, the brahmanas and his spiritual master, Sukracarya,
equipped himself to fight with Indra and went to Indrapuri with his
soldiers. Blowing his conchshell, he attacked the outskirts of Indra’s
kingdom. When Indra saw Bali Maharaja’s prowess, he went to his own
spiritual master, Brhaspati, told him about Bali’s strength, and inquired
about his duty. Brhaspati informed the demigods that because Bali had
been endowed with extraordinary power by the brdhmanas, the
demigods could not fight with him. Their only hope was to gain the favor
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Indeed, there was no alternative.
Under the circumstances, Brhaspati advised the demigods to leave the
heavenly planets and keep themselves somewhere invisible. The

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