CHAPTER NINETEEN
Lord Vamanadeva
Begs Charity from Bali Maharaja
This Nineteenth Chapter describes how Lord Vamanadeva asked for
three paces of land in charity, how Bali Maharaja agreed to His proposal,
and how Sukracarya forbade Bali Maharaja to fulfill Lord Vamanadeva’s
request.

When Bali Maharaja, thinking Vamanadeva to be the son of a
bréhmana, told Him to ask for anything He liked, Lord Vamanadeva
praised Hiranyakasipu and Hiranyaksa for their heroic activities, and
after thus praising the family in which Bali Maharaja had been born, He
begged the King for three paces of land. Bali Maharaja agreed to give this
land in charity, since this was very insignificant, but Sukracarya, who
could understand that Vamanadeva was Visnu, the friend of the
demigods, forbade Bali Maharaja to give this land. Sukracarya advised
Bali Maharaja to withdraw his promise. He explained that 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 to Lord Vamanadeva.

TEXT 1
tI TF
eft ated waa a aaa |
frara aTaetta: afraaganaty | 2 Ul
Sri-Suka uvaca
iti vairocaner vakyam
dharma-yuktam siinrtam
nisamya bhagavan pritah
pratinandyedam abravit
53
