Text 2] Bali Maharaja Surrenders His Life 157
Ryd Fa wad arad
qd cata He atta & FasL 8H
Sri-balir uvaca
yady uttamasloka bhavan mameritarh
vaco vyalikam sura-varya manyate
karomy rtar tan na bhavet pralambhanam
padam trtiyarh kuru Sirsni me nijam
Sri-balih uvdéca—Bali Maharaja said; yadi—if; uttamasloka—O
Supreme Lord; bhavan—Your good self; mama—my; iritam—prom-
ised; vacah—words; vyalikam—false; sura-varya—O greatest of all
suras (demigods); manyate— You think so; karomi—I shall make it;
rtam—truth; tat—that (promise); na—not; bhavet—will become;
pralambhanam—cheating; padam—step; trttyam—the third; kuru—
just do it; sirsni—on the head; me—my; nijam—Your lotus feet.
TRANSLATION
Bali Maharaja said: O best Personality of Godhead, most
worshipable for all the demigods, if You think that my promise has
become false, I shall certainly rectify matters to make it truthful. I
cannot allow my promise to be false. Please, therefore, place Your
third lotus footstep on my head.
PURPORT
Bali Maharaja could understand the pretense of Lord Vamanadeva,
who had taken the side of the demigods and come before him as a beggar.
Although the Lord’s purpose was to cheat him, Bali Maharaja took
pleasure in understanding how the Lord will cheat His devotee to glorify
the devotee’s position. It is said that God is good, and this is a fact.
Whether He cheats or rewards, He is always good. Bali Maharaja
therefore addressed Him as Uttamasloka. “Your Lordship,” he said,
“You are always praised with the best of selected verses. On behalf of the
demigods, You disguised Yourself to cheat me, saying that You wanted
only three paces of land, but later You expanded Your body to such an
