॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Sunday, 19 February 2023 - Srimad Bhagavatam VIII.18 - Part 2- The celebration of the fantastic Avatara of Bhagavan as Vamana and His splendid entry into the arena of King Bali's Yajna.
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तस्योपनीयमानस्य सावित्रीं सविताब्रवीत् । बृहस्पतिर्ब्रह्मसूत्रं मेखलां कश्यपोऽददात् ॥
ददौ कृष्णाजिनं भूमिर्दण्डं सोमो वनस्पतिः । कौपीनाच्छादनं माता द्यौश्छत्रं जगतः पतेः ॥
कमण्डलुं वेदगर्भः कुशान् सप्तर्षयो ददुः । अक्षमालां महाराज सरस्वत्यव्ययात्मनः ॥
तस्मा इत्युपनीताय यक्षराट् पात्रिकामदात् । भिक्षां भगवती साक्षादुमादादम्बिका सती ॥
स ब्रह्मवर्चसेनैवं सभां सम्भावितो वटुः । ब्रह्मर्षिगणसञ्जुष्टामत्यरोचत मारिषः ॥
समिद्धमाहितं वह्निं कृत्वा परिसमूहनम् । परिस्तीर्य समभ्यर्च्य समिद्भिरजुहोद्द्विजः ॥
श्रुत्वाश्वमेधैर्यजमानमूर्जितं बलिं भृगूणामुपकल्पितैस्ततः ।
जगाम तत्राखिलसारसम्भृतो भारेण गां सन्नमयन् पदे पदे ॥
तं नर्मदायास्तट उत्तरे बलेः य ऋत्विजस्ते भृगुकच्छसंज्ञके ।
प्रवर्तयन्तो भृगवः क्रतूत्तमं व्यचक्षतारादुदितं यथा रविम् ॥
त ऋत्विजो यजमानः सदस्या हतत्विषो वामनतेजसा नृप ।
सूर्यः किलायात्युत वा विभावसुः सनत्कुमारोऽथ दिदृक्षया क्रतोः ॥
इत्थं सशिष्येषु भृगुष्वनेकधा वितर्क्यमाणो भगवान् स वामनः ।
छत्रं सदण्डं सजलं कमण्डलुं विवेश बिभ्रद्धयमेधवाटम् ॥
मौञ्ज्या मेखलया वीतमुपवीताजिनोत्तरम् । जटिलं वामनं विप्रं मायामाणवकं हरिम् ॥
प्रविष्टं वीक्ष्य भृगवः सशिष्यास्ते सहाग्निभिः । प्रत्यगृह्णन् समुत्थाय सङ्क्षिप्तास्तस्य तेजसा ॥
यजमानः प्रमुदितो दर्शनीयं मनोरमम् । रूपानुरूपावयवं तस्मा आसनमाहरत् ॥
स्वागतेनाभिनन्द्याथ पादौ भगवतो बलिः । अवनिज्यार्चयामास मुक्तसङ्गमनोरमम् ॥
तत्पादशौचं जनकल्मषापहं स धर्मविन्मूर्ध्न्यदधात्सुमङ्गलम् ।
यद्देवदेवो गिरिशश्चन्द्रमौलिः दधार मूर्ध्ना परया च भक्त्या ॥
बलिरुवाच
स्वागतं ते नमस्तुभ्यं ब्रह्मन् किं करवाम ते । ब्रह्मर्षीणां तपः साक्षान्मन्ये त्वाऽऽर्य वपुर्धरम् ॥
अद्य नः पितरस्तृप्ता अद्य नः पावितं कुलम् । अद्य स्विष्टः क्रतुरयं यद्भवानागतो गृहान् ॥
अद्याग्नयो मे सुहुता यथाविधि द्विजात्मज त्वच्चरणावनेजनैः ।
हतांहसो वार्भिरियं च भूरहो तथा पुनीता तनुभिः पदैस्तव ॥
यद्यद्वटो वाञ्छसि तत्प्रतीच्छ मे त्वामर्थिनं विप्रसुतानुतर्कये ।
गां काञ्चनं गुणवद्धाम मृष्टं तथान्नपेयमुत वा विप्रकन्याम् ।
ग्रामान् समृद्धांस्तुरगान् गजान् वारथांस्तथार्हत्तम सम्प्रतीच्छ ॥
Translation (Prabhupada Swami)
At the sacred thread ceremony of Lord Vamana, Surya personally uttered the Gayatri mantra, Brihaspati offered the sacred thread, and Kashyapa offered a straw girdle.
Mother earth gave Him a deerskin, and Chandra who is the king of the forest, gave Him a brahma-danda staff of the brahmachari. His mother, Aditi, gave Him the loin cloth, and Indra offered Him an umbrella.
Lord Brahma offered a Kamandalu waterpot to the inexhaustible Bhagavan, the seven sages offered Him kusha grass, and mother Saraswati gave Him a string of Rudraksha beads.
When Lord Vamana had thus been given the sacred thread, Kuvlbera, King of the Yakshas, gave Him a begging bowl and mother Bhagavati, the wife of Lord Shiva and the Universal Mother, gave Him His first alms or Bhiksha.
Having thus been welcomed by everyone, Lord Vamana, the best of the brahmacharis, exhibited His Brahman effulgence. Thus He surpassed in beauty that entire assembly, which was filled with great saintly Brahmanas.
After Lord Vamana set up the Yajna fire, He offered worship.
When the Lord heard that King Bali was performing Ashwamedha Yajna under the guidance of exalted descendants of Sage Bhrigu, the self-complete Supreme Lord proceeded there to show His grace to Bali. The earth shook under His weight at every step.
The Bhrigu descendants performing the Yajna in the field known as Bhrigukaccha, on the northern bank of the Narmada River, saw Vamana radiant like the sun rising, approaching.
By Vamana's blinding effulgence, the splendour of the priests and Bali paled. Thus, they began to ask one another whether Surya, Sage Sanat-kumara or Agni had personally come to see the Yajna.
While the priests of the Bhrigu dynasty and their disciples debated who it could be, the Bhagavan Vamana, holding in His hands the staff, the umbrella and a waterpot full of water, entered the arena of the Ashwamedha Yajna.
Appearing as a Brahmin boy, wearing a straw girdle, a sacred thread, an upper garment of deerskin, and matted locks of hair, Lord Vamana entered the arena. His brilliant effulgence diminished the brilliance of all the priests and their disciples, who at once rose from their seats and welcomed the Lord properly by offering obeisances.
Bali, jubilant at seeing Lord Vamana, whose beautiful limbs contributed equally to the beauty of His entire body, offered Him a seat with great delight.
Thus offering a proper reception to Bhagavan, perceived in his divine beauty by the liberated souls, Bali worshipped Him by washing His lotus feet.
We know how Lord Shiva, the best of gods, who sports the crescent moon on his head, always receives with great devotion the Ganga water emanating from the toe of Vishnu. Being aware of Dharma, Bali knew this. Consequently, following in the footsteps of Lord Shiva, he also placed on his head the water that had washed the Lord’s lotus feet, considering it as holy as the Ganga.
Bali then said to Lord Vamana: "Oh Brahmin sir, I offer You my hearty welcome and my respectful obeisances. Please let us know what we may do for You. We think of You as the personified austerity of the great Brahmin Sages."
"Oh, my Lord, because You have kindly arrived at our home, all my forefathers are satisfied, our family and entire dynasty have been sanctified, and the sacrifice we are performing is now complete because of Your presence."
"Oh, son of a Brahmin, today the fire of Yajna is ablaze according to the injunction of the Shastra, and I have been freed from all the sinful reactions of my life by the water that has washed Your lotus feet. Oh, my Lord, by the touch of Your small lotus feet, the entire surface of the world has been sanctified.
"Oh, son of a Sage, it appears that You have come here to ask me for something. Therefore, whatever You want You may take from me. Oh, best of those who are worshippable! You may take from me a cow, gold, a furnished house, palatable food and drink, the daughter of a Brahmin for Your wife, prosperous villages, horses, elephants, chariots or whatever You desire."
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
