॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Friday, 24 February 2023 - Srimad Bhagavatam VIII.23- This chapter concludes the story of Bhagavan Vamana by reemphasising the many ways Ishwara takes care of all creation.
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Summary (based on Prabhupada)
This chapter describes how King Bali and his grandfather Bhakta Prahlada entered the planet Sutala and how Bhagavan allowed Indra to reenter his heavenly planet.
The great soul King Bali experienced that the highest gain in life is to attain devotional service under the shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet in full surrender. Being firmly rooted in this thought, his heart full of ecstatic devotion and his eyes full of tears, he offered obeisances to Bhagavan Vamana. Then, with his associates, he entered the planet known as Sutala.
Thus Bhagavan satisfied the desire of Aditi and reinstalled Lord Indra.
Bhakta Prahlada, being aware of Bali’s release from arrest, then described the transcendental pastimes of Bhagavan in this material world. Bhakta Prahlada praised the Supreme Lord for creating the material world, for being equal to everyone and for being extremely liberal to the devotees, just like a desire tree. Indeed, Bhakta Prahlada said that the Lord is kind not only to His devotees but also to the demons. In this way, he described the unlimited causeless mercy of Bhagavan. Then, with folded hands, he offered his respectful obeisances unto the Lord, and after circumambulating the Lord he also entered the planet Sutala in accordance with the Lord’s order.
The Lord then ordered Shukracharya to correct any deficiencies, faults and discrepancies in King Bali’s executing the Yajna underway. Shukra expressed in full devotion to Bhagavan that Yajnas became free from fruitive actions by chanting the holy name of the Lord, and he explained how chanting can diminish all the faults of the conditioned soul. He then completed King Bali’s Yajna.
All the sages extolled Bhagavan Vamana as the benefactor of Lord Indra because He had returned Indra to his heavenly lordship. They accepted Bhagavan as the maintainer of all the affairs of the universe. Being very happy, Indra, along with his associates, placed Bhagavan Vamana ahead of himself and reentered Devaloka in their aerial vehicle.
Having seen the wonderful activities of Lord Vishnu in the Yajna of King Bali, all the gods, sages, Pitris, Bhutas and Siddhas glorified the Lord again and again. The chapter concludes by saying that the most auspicious function of the conditioned soul is to chant and hear about the glorious activities of Lord Vishnu.
I find this Vamana's story full of great spiritual value. It delineates Bhagavan in His many roles.
- Bhagavan as Karmadhyaksha - the dispenser of inviolate Karma Phala. Bali was punished for his ego and rewarded for his devotion.
- Avatara, to set the universe on its right course.
- Purushottama, who invokes the highest devotion in Bali, Prahlada and Shukracharya.
- Bhakta Paraadheena, acting as the servant of His devotees! He becomes the guard at Sutala gates to take care of Bali and Prahlada.
- Dharma Guru, who guides Shukracharya.
- Nitya Ananda Swarupa. Throughout Bhagavan discharged this Avatara with a smile on His face!
I found these shlokas extremely evocative:
बलिरुवाच
अहो प्रणामाय कृतः समुद्यमः प्रपन्नभक्तार्थविधौ समाहितः ।
यल्लोकपालैस्त्वदनुग्रहोऽमरैरलब्धपूर्वोऽपसदेऽसुरेऽर्पितः ॥
T: Bali said: "What an incredible effect there is of even attempting to offer respectful obeisances to You! I was bound up and unable to properly prostrate even. But my desire itself pleased You, Oh Lord! The causeless mercy You have shown to me, a fallen Asura, was never achieved even by the gods or other celestials."
प्रह्लाद उवाच
नेमं विरिञ्चो लभते प्रसादं न श्रीर्न शर्वः किमुतापरे ते ।
यन्नोऽसुराणामसि दुर्गपालो विश्वाभिवन्द्यैरभिवन्दिताङ्घ्रिः ॥
यत्पादपद्ममकरन्दनिषेवणेन ब्रह्मादयः शरणदाश्नुवते विभूतीः ।
कस्माद्वयं कुसृतयः खलयोनयस्ते दाक्षिण्यदृष्टिपदवीं भवतः प्रणीताः ॥
चित्रं तवेहितमहोऽमितयोगमायालीलाविसृष्टभुवनस्य विशारदस्य ।
सर्वात्मनः समदृशोऽविषमः स्वभावो भक्तप्रियो यदसि कल्पतरुस्वभावः ॥
T: Prahlada addressed Bhagavan Vamana: "Oh Lord! You are universally worshipped; even Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva worship Your lotus feet. Yet although You are such a great personality, You have kindly promised to protect us, the Asuras. I think that such kindness has never been achieved even by Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva or the goddess of fortune, Sri Lakshmi, what to speak of other gods or common people!"
"Oh supreme shelter of everyone, great personalities like Brahma enjoy their perfection simply by tasting the honey of rendering service at Your lotus feet. But as for us, who are all fallen Asuras, how have we received Your mercy? It has been possible only because Your mercy is causeless and spontaneous."
Oh my Lord, Your pastimes are all wonderfully performed by Your inconceivable Maya; and by her perverted reflection, the Prakriti full of Gunas, You have created all the universes. As the Paramatma of all living entities, You are aware of everything, and therefore You are certainly equal toward everyone. Nonetheless, You favour Your devotees. This is not partiality, however, for Your characteristic is just like that of a desire tree, which yields everything according to one’s desire.
श्रीभगवानुवाच
वत्स प्रह्लाद भद्रं ते प्रयाहि सुतलालयम् । मोदमानः स्वपौत्रेण ज्ञातीनां सुखमावह ॥
नित्यं द्रष्टासि मां तत्र गदापाणिमवस्थितम् । मद्दर्शनमहाह्लादध्वस्तकर्मनिबन्धनः ॥
T: Bhagavan said: "My dear son Prahlada, all good fortune unto you. For the time being, please go to the place known as Sutala and there enjoy happiness with your grandson and your other relatives and friends. You shall be able to see Me there in My usual formShankha, Chakra, Gada, Padma, in My hands guarding Sutala! Because of your transcendental bliss due to always personally seeing Me, you will have no further bondage of Karma!"
शुक्र उवाच
कुतस्तत्कर्मवैषम्यं यस्य कर्मेश्वरो भवान् । यज्ञेशो यज्ञपुरुषः सर्वभावेन पूजितः ॥
मन्त्रतस्तन्त्रतश्छिद्रं देशकालार्हवस्तुतः । सर्वं करोति निश्छिद्रं नामसङ्कीर्तनं तव ॥
तथापि वदतो भूमन् करिष्याम्यनुशासनम् । एतच्छ्रेयः परं पुंसां यत्तवाज्ञानुपालनम् ॥
T; Sage Shukracharya spoke to Bhagavan: "My Lord, You are the enjoyer and lawgiver in all Yajnas, and You are the Yajna-purusha, the person to whom all Yajnas are dedicated. If one has fully satisfied You, where is the chance of discrepancies or faults in one's performances of sacrifice?"
"There may be discrepancies in pronouncing the mantras and observing the austerities or ritualistic actions, and, moreover, there may be discrepancies in regard to time, place, person and paraphernalia. But when Your Lordship’s holy name is chanted, everything becomes faultless."
"Lord Vishnu, I must nonetheless act in obedience to Your order because obeying Your order is most auspicious and is the first duty of everyone."
ब्रह्मा शर्वः कुमारश्च भृग्वाद्या मुनयो नृप । पितरः सर्वभूतानि सिद्धा वैमानिकाश्च ये ॥
सुमहत्कर्म तद्विष्णोर्गायन्तः परमाद्भुतम् । धिष्ण्यानि स्वानि ते जग्मुरदितिं च शशंसिरे ॥
T: Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, Lord Karttikeya, the great sage Bhrigu, other sages, Pitris, and all other living entities present, including Siddhas and celestials, all glorified the uncommon activities of Bhagavan Vamana. While chanting about and glorifying the Lord, they returned to their respective abodes. They also praised the position of Aditi, mother of Vamana.
सर्वमेतन्मयाऽऽख्यातं भवतः कुलनन्दन । उरुक्रमस्य चरितं श्रोतॄणामघमोचनम् ॥
पारं महिम्न उरुविक्रमतो गृणानो यः पार्थिवानि विममे स रजांसि मर्त्यः ।
किं जायमान उत जात उपैति मर्त्य इत्याह मन्त्रदृगृषिः पुरुषस्य यस्य ॥
य इदं देवदेवस्य हरेरद्भुतकर्मणः । अवतारानुचरितं शृण्वन् याति परां गतिम् ॥
क्रियमाणे कर्मणीदं दैवे पित्र्येऽथ मानुषे । यत्र यत्रानुकीर्त्येत तत्तेषां सुकृतं विदुः ॥
T: King Shuka concluded: Oh, King Parikshit! I have now described everything about the Bhagavan Vamana's wonderful activities. Those who hear about this are certainly freed from all the results of sinful actions."
"One who is subject to death cannot assess mentally the glories of Bhagavan, Trivikrama, Lord Vishnu, any more than he can count the number of atoms on the entire planet earth. No one, whether born already or destined to take birth, is able to do this. This has been sung by the great sage Vasishtha."
"If one hears about the uncommon activities of the Bhagavan Paramatma in His various incarnations, he is certainly elevated to heaven or even brought back home in liberation. Whenever the activities of Bhagavan Vamana are described in the course of worship, whether the ceremony is performed to please the gods, to please one’s forefathers (Pitris), or to celebrate a social event like a marriage, that ceremony should be understood to be extremely auspicious."
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
